Jobless Rate Drops To 2008 Level

Sacramento, CA — California’s unemployment rate is down and Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties are following that trend. California and two other states saw the sharpest drop. California’s rate fell to 9 percent. New York and South Carolina also dipped by 0.4 percentage points since March. The State’s Employment Development Department reports the jobless rate is at its lowest point since November 2008, nearly a year into the recession. 1.7 million Californians remain unemployed, down 300,000 from April 2012.

Tuolumne County’s rate dipped to 9.5% in April, compared to 10.7% in March. Calaveras County’s rate was 11.9% in March and is 10.5% in April.

Statewide, categories that added jobs include construction, trade, utilities, financial services, and transportation. Construction had the largest gains up 7.7 percent or 44,800 jobs. Areas that declined included mining, logging, manufacturing and government. Manufacturing had the steepest drop down 10,500 jobs or a 0.8 percent decrease.