LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — California’s jobless rate edged up slightly in August, while Lake County’s rate remained flat.
The California Employment Development Department, or EDD, said the state’s employers added 6,800 nonfarm payroll jobs in August while the unemployment rate moved to 5.3% after three consecutive months at 5.2%.
In Lake County, unemployment in August remained at 6.1% for the second month in a row, according to the report. Lake County’s jobless rate was 5.7% in June and 5.6% in August 2023.
On the national level, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment dropped slightly in August, coming in at 4.2%, compared to 4.3% in July. The August 2023 nationwide jobless rate was 3.8%.
Total nonfarm jobs in California’s 11 major industries amounted to 18,091,000 in August, which the EDD said was a net gain of 6,800 from July. This followed an upward revised (+8,800) month-over gain of 29,900 jobs in July.
The report said total nonfarm jobs increased by 287,100 (a 1.6% increase) from August 2023 to August 2024 — which averages out to 23,925 jobs gained per month in that one-year period — compared to the U.S. annual gain of 2,358,000 jobs (a 1.5% increase).
On the state and local levels, the EDD reported the following numbers.
Employed: The number of Californians employed in August was 18,362,700, an increase of 8,700 persons from July’s total of 18,354,000, but down 27,800 from the employment total in August 2023. In Lake County, 27,160 were employed in August, compared to 26,690 in July and 27,420 in August 2023.
Unemployed: The number of unemployed Californians was 1,020,000 in August, an increase of 11,300 over the month and up 83,900 in comparison to August 2023. In Lake County, those who were unemployed totaled 1,760, compared to 1,730 in July and 1,620 the previous August.
Total farm jobs: The number of jobs in California’s agriculture industry decreased from July by 1,100 to a total of 416,500 jobs in August. The agriculture industry had 8,900 more farm jobs in August 2024 than it did in August of last year. In Lake County, farm jobs in August 2024 totaled 980, the same number as the previous August; farm jobs totaled 1,000 in July.
Five of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in August: Those industries were leisure and hospitality (+6,800), private education and health services (+4,900), other services (+3,900), professional and business services (+3,800); and trade, transportation and utilities (+2,900). For comparison, in Lake County, job sectors with growth were government, 350 jobs; durable goods, 10 jobs; and private education and health services, 10 jobs.
Sectors with job losses: On the state level, the information sector (-5,100) posted the largest job loss, partly due to losses in the motion picture and video production industry as it restructures after last year’s strike. Other sectors showing losses statewide were manufacturing (-4,700); construction (-3,300), government (-2,200) and mining and logging (-100). For Lake County, job losses came in total farm (-20); trade, transportation and utilities (-20); total private (-10); private service providing (-10); and professional and business services (-10).
In August, Lake County’s jobless rate ranked it No. 37 out of California’s 58 counties.
Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks were: Colusa, 9.2%, No. 56; Glenn, 6.8%, No. 45; Mendocino, 5.2%, No. 19; Napa, 4.3%, No. 6; Sonoma, 4.5%, No. 8; and Yolo, 5.4%, No. 25.
In related data that the EDD said figures into the state’s unemployment rate, there were 382,640 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the August 2024 sample week. That compares to 400,294 people in July and 394,757 people in August 2023.
Concurrently, 39,023 initial claims were processed in the August 2024 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 2,903 claims from July, but a year-over increase of 1,049 claims from August 2023, the EDD reported.
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 unemployment up slightly in August; Lake County rate remains flat
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On