LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The state’s latest report on the jobless rate showed a one-point jump for Lake County’s unemployment, while the state rate also edged up.
The California Employment Development Department’s report said Lake County’s rate rose from 6.3% in May to 7.3% in June. The June 2024 rate was 6.6%.
California’s June unemployment rate changed slightly, rising to 5.4% from 5.3% in May. The state’s June 2024 rate was 5.3%.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nationwide unemployment rate was 4.1% in June, down from 4.2 percent in May. The June 2024 jobless rate also was 4.1%.
The report said that the number of Californians employed in June was 18,770,800, an increase of 21,700 persons from May’s total of 18,749,100 and up 153,100 from the employment total in June 2024.
At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 1,070,000 in June, an increase of 11,700 over the month and up 28,800 in comparison to June 2024.
California payroll jobs fell from 18,017,200 in May 2025 to 18,011,100 in June 2025. On a year-to-year basis, payroll jobs increased to 18,011,100 from 17,910,000, according to the report.
California has gained 3,091,300 jobs since April 2020, an average of 49,860 per month, the report said. Although the State did post a month-over loss of 6,100 jobs for June 2025, California has a net gain of 101,100 nonfarm jobs since June 2024.
Four of California's 11 industry sectors gained jobs in June, with private education and health services (+9,900) posting a gain for the 41st consecutive month, according to the report.
The largest gains were in health care and social assistance (+2,700). This includes jobs in continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities, and nursing and residential care facilities, partly attributed to California’s aging population.
Leisure and hospitality (+4,300) also posted a month-over job gain as the arrival of the summer season spurs growth in California’s recreation-focused businesses such as arts and entertainment, spectator sports, and amusement parks.
Professional and business services (-9,900) posted the state’s largest month-over loss as jobs declined in administrative and support services and temporary employment services. Losses also occurred in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services, and computer systems design.
In Lake County, the transportation, warehousing and utilities sector grew by 12.3%; federal government, 6.7%; the total farm category, 4.5%; and manufacturing, 3%.
Categories showing losses included professional and business services, down 6.6%; goods producing, down 2.2%; and service producing, down -0.7%.
In the July report, Lake County’s jobless rate ranked it 46 out of California’s 58 countries. Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks last month were: Colusa, 12.2%, No. 57; Glenn, 7.8%, No. 48; Mendocino, 5.8%, No. 27; Napa, 4.2%, No. 3; Sonoma, 4.6%, No. 8; and Yolo, 6.1%, No. 32.
In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, there were 387,555 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the June 2025 sample week.
The Employment Development Department said that this compares to 384,749 people in May and 381,123 people in June 2024.
Concurrently, 46,629 initial claims were processed in the June 2025 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 5,393 claims from May, but a year-over increase of 1,467 claims from June 2024.
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