LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Employment Development Department’s latest jobless report shows that Lake County’s unemployment rate was down in September, with California reaching a record low rate and the nation’s numbers improving as well.

Lake County’s September unemployment rate was 4.2%, down from 4.4% in August and 6.3% in September 2021. The September rate is the second-lowest rate of the year, after the 3.8% reported in May.

In September, California matched the record low unemployment rate of 3.9% set in July 2022, according to the report. September’s rate is down from 4.1% in August and 6.4% in September 2021.

On the national level, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the September jobless rate was 3.5%, down from 3.7% in August and 4.7% in September 2021.

California payroll jobs totaled 17,667,200 in September 2022, up 7,000 from September 2022 and up 712,600 from September of last year.

The number of Californians employed in September was 18,544,100, a decrease of 20,100 persons from August’s total of 18,564,200, but up 755,400 from the employment total in September 2021.

The number of unemployed Californians was 746,200 in September, a decrease of 37,600 over the month and down 471,900 in comparison to September 2021.

The state also added jobs for 12 consecutive months and has now recovered 99.1% of the jobs lost to the pandemic-induced recession from February to April 2020.

In Lake County in September, most industry sectors showed a drop in jobs, with the only growth noted in wholesale trade, 9.1%, and government, 1.5%.

Only five of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in September, with education and health services (+15,000) showing the largest month-over gains thanks to strength in payrolls within colleges, universities, & professional schools. In Lake County, that sector was down by 0.4%.

Leisure and hospitality’s gains (+8,700) came largely from special food services, such as (for example) catering and food trucks. That industry in Lake County dropped by 4.3% last month.

Losses in government (-16,100) by and large were due to weakness in local government hiring, outside of education. For example, reductions in administration and services. That sector in Lake County grew by 1.5%.

Lake County’s unemployment rate earned it the No. 40 ranking statewide among the state’s 58 counties.

In September, San Mateo had the lowest unemployment rate in the state, 1.9%, while Imperial had the highest, 16%.

Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks were: Colusa, 7%, No. 56; Glenn, 4.5%, No. 44; Mendocino, 3.1%, No. 17; Napa, 2.6%, No. 9; Sonoma, 2.5%, No. 8; and Yolo, 3.1%, No. 17.

In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, the Employment Development Department said there were 294,085 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the September 2022 sample week. That compares to 310,212 people in August and 493,987 people in September 2021.

Concurrently, the state said 34,501 initial claims were processed in the September 2022 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 2,699 claims from August and a year-over decrease of 44,377 claims from September 2021.

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.