California Unemployment Rate Rises to 10.1%

SACRAMENTO – California’s unemployment rate was 10.1 percent in January, and nonfarm payroll jobs declined by 79,300 during the month, according to data released today by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) from two separate surveys. 

The U.S. unemployment rate also increased in January to 7.6 percent. 

In December, the state’s unemployment rate was a revised 8.7 percent, and in January 2008, the unemployment rate was 6.1 percent. The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 California households. 

The federal survey of households shows a decrease in the number of employed people. It estimates the number of Californians holding jobs in January was 16,668,000, a decrease of 283,000 from December, and down 437,000 from the employment total in January of last year. 

The number of people unemployed in California was 1,863,000 – up by 257,000 over the month, and up by 754,000 compared with January of last year. 

Of the unemployed, 990,600 were laid off, 126,700 left their jobs voluntarily, and the remaining were either new entrants or reentrants into the labor market, or persons who completed temporary jobs, according to the federal household survey.

“The number of Californians without jobs and a means to provide for their families is a sobering reminder that there is nothing more important than getting California’s economy back on track, said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a prepared statement.

“The road to full economic recovery will not be short, but the economic stimulus measures I fought tirelessly to include in the state budget combined with the federal economic recovery agenda will help California create jobs – while laying a strong foundation for better economic times ahead.”

(Editor’s Note: For more information on unemployment go here.) 

-30-