CALIFORNIA BUSINESS MINUTE
Employment
01-21-11
Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.
The state’s unemployment rate slightly increased in December to 12.5 percent according
to the Employment Development Department, EDD.
Seven employment sectors illustrated growth. Manufacturing, financial activities,
information, professional and business services, educational and health services,
leisure and hospitality and other services added over 33,700 jobs. Five categories;
mining and logging, construction, trade, transportation and utilities along with
government reported job declines for the month, down 28,800 jobs. However year-over-
year, California added 87,500 jobs, but unfortunately nearly 2.3 million Californians
still remain unemployed.
The recent EDD figures illustrate that 53 out of the 58 counties in the state are in
excess of the national unemployment level of 9.4 percent for December 2010 based upon
not seasonally adjusted figures.
Marin County continued to have the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 7.9 percent
down from 8.2 percent in November. Five counties had an unemployment rate lower than
the nation’s at 9.4 percent. Those joining Marin include San Mateo, Orange, Mono and
San Francisco. On the flip side, Imperial County continued to have the highest
unemployment rate in the state at 28.3 percent but has continued down from 30.4 in
September. Unfortunately five other counties join Imperial with unemployment in excess of
20 percent. These include Colusa, 25.2%; Sutter, 21.5%; Plumas, 21%; Trinity, 20.5% and
Merced, 20.1%.
I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.
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