LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact jobs nationwide, on the local and state levels, November job statistics show the lowest jobless rates since March.
The California Employment Development Department’s newest report on unemployment puts Lake County’s November jobless rate at 7.3 percent – the same as it was in March, just before local and statewide lockdowns went into effect.
That’s down from 7.4 percent in October but up markedly from the 4.8 percent reported in November 2019, according to EDD data.
On the statewide level, California’s unemployment rate dropped 0.8 percent to 8.2 percent in November as the state’s employers added 57,100 jobs.
The California unemployment rate in November was down from 9 percent in October 2020 but up from 3.9 percent from November of last year, the EDD said.
The state’s November unemployment rate also was the lowest since the 5.5 percent reported in March.
On the nationwide level, employment numbers also are recovering. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the national jobless rate was 6.7 percent in November, down from 6.9 percent in October but up from the 3.5 percent reported the previous November.
Like the local and state situations, November was the best month nationwide for employment since March, when a 4.4 percent jobless rate was reported.
Lake County’s civilian labor force numbered 26,620 individuals in November, with 2,080 individuals unemployed, compared to a civilian labor force of 27,400 in October, when 2,200 people were reported to be without jobs.
State data showed that industry sectors that showed job growth in Lake County in November included leisure and hospitality, 12.9 percent; trade, transportation and utilities, 8.2 percent; professional and business services, 1.6 percent; government, 0.7 percent; and service providing, 0.3 percent.
Total farm jobs were down by 35.1 percent in November, but up by 26 percent in a year-over comparison, the state said. Other local industries showing year-over growth included professional and business services, 8.5 percent; federal government, 6.3 percent; and trade, transportation and utilities, 0.3 percent.
In November, Lake County ranked No. 35 out of the state’s 58 counties for its jobless rate.
Lake’s neighboring counties’ jobless rates and ranks in the latest report are Colusa, 10.8 percent, No. 57; Glenn and Napa tied at No. 16 with 6 percent; Sonoma, 5.5 percent, No. 8; and Yolo, 5.8 percent, No. 12.
Over the course of several months, some of the state’s rural counties had the lowest unemployment in California. Lassen, for example, held the No. 1 spot for the lowest jobless rate from May through October.
However, in November, Lassen was pushed out of the top spot by Marin County, which historically has among the lowest unemployment rates statewide but which saw its rate climb due to the business impacts of COVID-19.
Marin’s November rate was 4.7 percent, with Sierra County ranking No. 2 with 5 percent, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties tying for No. 3 with 5.1 percent, and Placer ranking No. 5 with 5.2 percent. Lassen fell to No. 6, with 5.3 percent.
The highest unemployment was reported in Imperial County, which reported 16.4 percent and ranked No. 58. The rest of the five counties with the highest jobless rates included Colusa, No. 57, 10.8 percent; Los Angeles, No. 56, 10.6 percent; Tulare, No. 55, 9.8 percent; and Kern, No. 54, 9.4 percent.
The statewide employment situation
The EDD reported that California has now regained approximately 46 percent of the 2,615,800 nonfarm jobs that were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April. November marks the sixth straight month the unemployment rate fell below the all-time unemployment rate high of 16.4 percent set in April and May of this year.
California payroll jobs totaled 16,191,400 in November 2020, up 57,100 from October 2020 but down 1,336,700 from November of last year, the EDD said.
The state said the number of Californians with jobs in October was 17,347,000, a decrease of 141,500 jobs from October’s total of 17,488,500, and down 1,386,900 from the employment total in November of last year.
The number of unemployed Californians was 1,542,100 in November, a decrease of 186,000 over the month, and up by 788,400 in comparison to November of last year, the EDD reported.
The EDD’s newest report said that nine of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in November: Leisure and hospitality, up 27,800; trade, transportation and utilities, 19,700; professional and business services, 12,900; education and health services, 8,500; financial activities, 2,300; information, 900; manufacturing, 600; other services, 300; and mining and logging, 100.
Two sectors reported job losses: construction, which lost 5,800 jobs, and government, which for the third straight month posted the largest industry job decline, losing 10,200 jobs in November.
The EDD also reported that there were 1,278,200 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the November 2020 sample week. That compares to 1,650,946 people in October 2020 and 293,595 people in November 2019.
Concurrently, the state said 168,998 initial claims were processed in the November 2020 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 16,347 claims from October 2020, and a year-over increase of 119,552 claims from November 2019.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
State, local unemployment in November drops to lowest level since March
- Elizabeth Larson
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