LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment edged up again slightly in November while statewide and nationwide numbers improved.
The California Employment Development Department's latest report on joblessness put Lake County's November unemployment rate at 6.6 percent, up from the 6.4 percent reported in October but improved over the 7.7 percent reported in November 2015.
California's unemployment in November dropped to 5.3 percent after holding at 5.5 percent for three months straight. The state's November 2015 rate was 5.9 percent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said nationwide unemployment also decreased in November, dropping from 4.9 percent to 4.6 percent, the lowest national jobless rate since August 2007. The November 2015 nationwide rate was 5 percent.
In November employers added 13,600 nonfarm payroll jobs in California and 178,000 nonfarm payroll jobs nationwide, according to the report.
With November’s new jobs, the state has gained a total of 2,417,100 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010, the Employment Development Department said.
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 16,603,600 in November, according to a survey of 55,000 businesses, a year-over increase of 377,200 jobs, up 2.3 percent.
A federal survey of 5,500 households showed the number of Californians holding jobs in November was 18,417,000, an increase of 47,000 from October, and up 551,000 from the employment total in November of 2015.
The report also said that the number of unemployed Californians was 1,038,000 in November, down by 32,000 over the month, and down by 86,000 compared with the previous November.
In Lake County, the report showed that in November there were 1,950 unemployed people, compared to 1,890 in October and 2,210 in November 2015.
The number of jobs in Lake County in November totaled 16,240, down 0.9 percent from October, when there were 16,390 jobs, but up by 4.9 percent over November 2016, when there were 15,480 jobs, according to the report.
Lake County's “total farm” industry category had a 21.1 percent drop in jobs from October to November, while total nonfarm grew by 0.3 percent, the report showed.
In November, eight of California’s 11 industry sectors added a total of 29,300 jobs: trade, transportation and utilities; manufacturing; mining and logging; construction; financial activities; professional and business services; other services; and government.
Month-over job losses occurred in three sectors: information; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality, according to the report.
In year-over comparisons, nine sectors added jobs: educational and health services; government; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services, the state said.
The state report showed that two sectors, mining and logging, and manufacturing, showed year-over job losses.
Lake County's unemployment rate ranked it No. 39 statewide out of 58 counties. The lowest unemployment, 2.8 percent, was reported in San Mateo County, and the highest, 20.3 percent, was in Imperial County.
The November jobless report also showed there were 358,096 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the November survey week. That's compared with 323,124 in October and 355,913 in November of last year.
New claims for Unemployment Insurance were 54,252 in November, compared with 44,808 in October and 54,438 in November of last year, the state reported.
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November unemployment up in Lake County, down statewide and across nation
- Elizabeth Larson
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