LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The employment picture continues to strengthen in Lake County, as well as across the state and nation.

Lake County’s March jobless rate was 7.9 percent, which ranked it No. 35 statewide. It was down from 8.3 percent in February. The county’s March 2020 rate was 6.6 percent.

California’s overall unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in March, down from 8.5 percent in February. A year ago, California’s overall unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. California also posted an 8.3-percent rate in November.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the federal unemployment rate reached 6 percent in March, compared to 6.2 percent in February and 4.4 percent in March 2020.

California’s jobless rate peaked at 16 percent last April, the same month that federal unemployment rose to its highest pandemic level, 14.8 percent.

In March, both California and the nation reached their lowest unemployment rates since COVID-19 began to impact the economy a year ago.

Lake County’s civilian workforce totaled 29,180 in March, up 90, or 0.3 percent, over February and showing a 1.6-percent rise over last year.

Within Lake County, Hidden Valley Lake had the lowest unemployment in March, 1.8 percent; followed by north Lakeport, 2 percent; Nice, 2.1 percent; Lucerne, 3.6 percent; the city of Lakeport, 4.9 percent; Cobb, 5.5 percent; Clearlake Oaks, 8.1 percent; Middletown, 8.2 percent; Lower Lake, 9.2 percent; Upper Lake, 11.8 percent; Kelseyville, 13.1 percent; and the city of Clearlake, 16.9 percent.

The EDD said Lake’s neighboring counties had the following jobless rates and ranks in the latest report: Colusa, 15.4 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 7.3 percent, No. 23; Napa, 6.6 percent, No. 16; Sonoma, 6 percent, No. 7; and Yolo, 6.4 percent, No. 11.

A snapshot of the state’s industries

The EDD report said the number of Californians with jobs in March was 17,342,600, an increase of 9,900 jobs from February’s total of 17,332,700, but down 962,000 from the employment total in March of last year.

At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 1,560,400 in March, a decrease of 49,600 over the month, but up by 696,300 in comparison to March of last year.

California has now regained almost 44 percent of the 2,714,800 total nonfarm jobs lost in March and April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EDD said.

The EDD said all but one of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs last month.

Financial activities was the lone sector that posted losses totaling 600 jobs statewide. In Lake County, that sector grew by 40 jobs in a month-over comparison, for a total of 320 jobs in March, a 14.3 percent increase. However, it’s down by 5.9 percent compared to last year.

Leisure and hospitality, with an increase of 42,200 new jobs, continued to have the state’s largest month-over increase thanks to full-service restaurants.

That sector in Lake County was at 1,040 jobs in March, down by 10, for a loss of 1 percent since February and a 10.3 percent loss since March 2020.

Trade, transportation and utilities also had large gains, growing by 32,200 jobs, thanks to strength in clothing stores and transportation and warehousing.

Locally, that industry grew by 50 jobs, or 1.7 percent, for a total of 2,990 in Lake County. That sector also is up 4.5 percent over 2020.

Another sector showing strong gains also were posted in professional and business services, which gained 22,000 jobs, led by accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping firms.

In Lake County, the professional and business services sector has had month-over and year-over gains, growing by 40 jobs, or 5.9 percent, to a total of 720 in March. Job numbers for that sector are up by 4.3 percent compared to March 2020.

Other industries showing improvement, with statewide and Lake County numbers growth presented, were:

– Other services, 7,300 jobs gained statewide, with no growth for the month in Lake County, where the total jobs in that sector number 520. That sector is down 1.9 percent locally over 2020.

– Mining and logging, and construction, up 6,100 jobs statewide. Lake County had no growth in that sector, with 790 jobs total and a 7.1-percent loss since last year.

– Information, 5,400 jobs gained statewide, none in Lake County. Total jobs in the sector locally is 90, with a 10-percent drop since 2020.

– Government, up 2,200 jobs across California, 140 new jobs in Lake County for a total of 4,190 jobs, a 3.5-percent growth over February and a 1-percent increase over March 2020.

– Manufacturing, 1,400 gained statewide, 10 jobs lost in Lake County, which is a 2.7 percent loss for the month and is down by 5.3 percent for the year. Lake County has 360 total manufacturing jobs.

– Education and health services, 1,200 jobs gained statewide and 10 jobs gained in Lake County. Lake County has 4,450 such jobs, which is up by 0.2 percent since February but down by 4.7 percent since March 2020.

In related news, the EDD said there were 680,279 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the March 2021 sample week, compared to 794,348 people in February and 424,645 people in March 2020.

The state said 96,212 initial claims were processed in the March 2021 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 5,500 claims from February, but a year-over decrease of 90,267 claims from March 2020.

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.