California Jobless Rate Climbs

Sonora, CA – The California unemployment rate climbed in January and so did the Mother Lode’s.

The state Employment Development Department released its report Friday showing that the state’s rate rose from 4.1 percent, which had held steady since September of last year, to 4.2 percent in the first month of this year. In January of 2018 the state’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent.

The Mother Lode numbers also rose. Tuolumne County’s rate increased more than a percentage point from 4.5 percent in December to 5.6 percent in January. Calaveras County’s numbers also went up by a point from 3.8 percent in December to 4.8 percent.

Statewide the largest job gains were in professional and business services, up 4,200 jobs. The highest employment decline was in trade, transportation and utilities, which reported a loss of 7,200 jobs. The county with the highest unemployment was Colusa, sitting at 19.6 percent while San Mateo had the lowest rate at 2.5 percent.

The national unemployment rate went up by 0.1 percentage point to 4 percent in January from 3.9 percent in the final month of last year.