State And Local Jobless Rate Down

Sacramento, CA– For the fifth straight month in a row, California’s unemployment rate has dropped.

The May numbers released today by the state Employment Development Department show the jobless rate at 11.7 percent, compared to 11.8 percent in April.

The state unemployment rate in April dipped below 12 percent for the first time since 2009. Officials originally estimated the April figure at 11.9 percent but dropped it to 11.8 percent after additional study. The jobless rate in May of 2010 was 12.4 percent.

Still, not all of the improvement in the jobless rate reflects economic recovery. The size of the labor force also shrank, as some people stopped looking for work or went back to school, which can lower the calculated unemployment rate.

In May, Tuolumne County’s rate decreased to 13.4 percent, compared to 13.8 percent in April. Calaveras County’s rate was down to 14.7, as opposed to 15.1 percent in April.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com