Posted on 01/22/2003 1:04:18 AM PST by chance33_98
California Jobless Rate Climbs to 6.6 Percent
Many Golden State residents are entering the new year without a job. Recently released unemployment figures show California's jobless rate is continuing to rise.
According to figures from the state Employment Development Department, the December unemployment rate climbed to 6.6 percent, up from 6.5 percent in November. That translates to an additional 15, 400 Californians out of work. A year ago, in December 2001, Californias unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.
The EDD report showed a total of 1,165,000 people are unemployed in California, up 97,000 over December of last year.
Of the unemployed, 697,900 were laid off, 81,600 left their jobs voluntarily, and the remaining were either new entrants or re-entrants into the labor market.
Sacramento County fared somewhat better than the state average, with a jobless rate of 5.2 percent. About 32,800 country residents with work, out of a total labor force of 630,100.
The problem is significantly worse in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. In San Joaquin, 10.5 percent or the work force is idled, while 11.5 percent of Stanislaus County workers are without jobs.
As was the case all last year, the jobless rate in Placer and El Dorado counties was well below the state average. Placer registered a 4.5 percent unemployment rate in December, while 4.8 percent of El Dorado County residents were out of work.
Colusa County had the state's worst jobless rate, with unemployment at 24.9 percent. Marin Country, which boats one of the highest per capita income averages in the country, has California's lowest unemployment number at just 3.4 percent.
The national unemployment rate was steady in December at 6.0 percent. In December of 2001, that rate was 5.8 percent.
The full report from the Employment Development Department can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
California: Laid-off workers ask: Why us?
John where is -- Colusa County?
Is that timber country, spotted owl layoff's perhaps?
I fell in to a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down
and the flames went higher.
And it burns, burns, burns
the ring of fire
the ring of fire.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.