Jobless Rate Dips

Sonora, CA – California’s unemployment rate fell to 5 percent in February from 5.2 percent in the first month of the year as 22,900 nonfarm payroll jobs were added.

The state Employment Development Department released the figures on Friday observing that in February 2016, the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent.

The Mother Lode did not follow that trend and instead rates went up. In Tuolumne County, the number rose from 6-percent in December to 6.7-percent in January. Calaveras County’s rate jumped from 5.4 percent to 6.1 percent during the same period.

Educational and health services posted the largest jobs increase, with a gain of 19,800 jobs, while trade, transportation and utilities posted the largest decline, down by 21,100 jobs.

San Mateo County had the lowest unemployment rate for a third straight month at 2.8 percent down from 2.9 percent in January. Colusa County did the same but in the opposite direction earning the state’s highest jobless rate for the month at 22.8 percent. However, that was a decrease from 23.6 percent in the first month of the year.

The U.S. unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage point in January to 4.8 percent.