State Jobless Rate Falls, Mother Lodes Rises

Sonora, CA — The unemployment rate in the Mother Lode inches up as the states dips to a record low.

California’s jobless rate fell to 4.3 percent in February, compared to 4.4 percent in January. The state Employment Development Department that compiles the monthly figures indicates the state has not hit that number since1976.

A total of 23,500 jobs were added in the month. The largest gains were in business services (8,300 jobs), followed by construction (6,800) and manufacturing (3,500).  Industry sectors lost 9,500 jobs with trade, transportation and utilities posting the biggest decrease over the month, down 3,100.

Tuolumne County’s rate is 5.5 percent and Calaveras County is 4.6 percent; up from 5.2 percent and 4.3 percent respectively in January. Colusa County has the state’s highest unemployment rate at 20 percent and San Mateo County is the lowest at 2.4 percent.

The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged in February at 4.1 percent. That figure was 5.1 percent in the same month last year.