How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The latest report on unemployment from the state showed a large drop in Lake County's jobless rate thanks to late spring farming.
The Employment Development Department's report on May unemployment figures shows that Lake County's May unemployment rate was 9 percent, down from 10.3 percent in April and 11.3 percent in May 2013.
The May rate is the lowest the county has seen since the 8 percent recorded in October 2007. For context, during the recession the Lake County unemployment rate topped out at 18.2 percent in January 2010 and January 2011, according to state records.
California's unemployment rate for May was 7.6 percent, down from 7.8 percent in April and 9 percent the previous May, the report showed.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nationwide employment in May was 6.3 percent rate, the same as for April, but down from 7.5 percent from May 2013.
The California Employment Development Department's report said that statewide in May nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 18,300 for a total gain of 1,327,000 jobs since the recovery began in February 2010.
The state's nonfarm jobs totaled 15,448,000 in May, an increase of 18,300 jobs over the month, according to a survey of 58,000 California businesses that measures jobs in the economy. The year-over-year change, May 2013 to May 2014, shows an increase of 340,200 jobs, up 2.3 percent.
A federal survey of 5,500 California households – which is used to determine the unemployment rate – showed an increase in the number of employed people. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in May was 17,235,000, an increase of 40,000 from April 2014, and up 305,000 from the employment total in May of last year.
The number of people unemployed in California was 1,423,000 – down by 35,000 over the month, and down by 261,000 compared with May of last year, according to the report.
Once again, Marin had the lowest unemployment of any county in May, at 3.8 percent, with Imperial's 21.1 percent gaining it the No. 58 rank.
Lake County was No. 36 statewide for its 9-percent unemployment rate in May, the state said.
Regarding employment in specific areas within the county, Clearlake Oaks had the highest May unemployment, 14 percent; followed by Nice, 13.6 percent; the city of Clearlake, 13.4 percent; Lucerne, 9.5 percent; Kelseyville and Middletown, tied at 9.1 percent; city of Lakeport, 8.6 percent; Cobb, 7.9 percent; Lower Lake, 7.4 percent; Hidden Valley Lake, 7.3 percent; north Lakeport, 7 percent; and Upper Lake, 4.4 percent.
Lake's neighboring counties ranked as follows in May, according to the Employment Development Department: Colusa, No. 57, 15.6 percent; Glenn, No. 47, 10.3 percent; Mendocino, No. 13, 5.9 percent; Napa, No. 4, 4.5 percent; Sonoma, No. 6, 5 percent; and Yolo, No. 21, 6.8 percent.
In Lake County, top industries that showed job growth in May included total farm, 78.4 percent; state government, 17.6 percent; information and federal government, both with 7.1 percent; other services, 7 percent; mining, logging and construction, 5.6 percent; goods producing, 3.2 percent; and financial activities, 2.5 percent.
The Employment Development Department also reported there were 435,763 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the May survey week, compared with 481,018 last month and 479,718 last year.
At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 53,388 in May 2014, compared with 62,715 in April and 54,526 in May of last year, the state reported.
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