California’s Unemployment Rate Decreases

California’s unemployment rate decreased to 12.4 percent in May, and jobs increased by 28,300 during the month, according to data released today by the California Employment Development Department. In April, the state’s unemployment rate was a revised 12.5 percent, and in May 2009, the unemployment rate was 11.3 percent According to the EDD, who conducted a survey of 42,000 California Businesses, California has gained jobs in each of the first five months of 2010, with gains over the period totaling 95,900 jobs. Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 13,905,500 in May, an increase of 28,300 from April, according to the survey. However, the year-over-year change shows a decrease of 244,700 jobs or 1.7 percent. Based on data collected from a separate federal survey of 5,500 California households, EDD reported an increase in the number of employed people during the month. The survey estimates the number of Californians holding jobs in May was 16,062,000, an increase of 48,000 from April, but down 182,000 from the employment total in May of last year. The number of people unemployed in California was 2,277,000 – down by 21,000 over the month, but up by 212,000 compared with May of last year. The U.S. unemployment rate also decreased in May to 9.7 percent.