Monday, April 20, 2009
The last time Californians were enduring a worst spate of unemployment than now was January 1941, according to the latest figures released by the state Employment Development Department. The jobless rate for March hit 11.2% in California, only five-tenths below the mark of 11.7% that existed before the start of World War II.
As bad as things are in the Golden State, California’s current unemployment level is not the highest in the country. That distinction goes to Michigan, at 12.6%, followed by Oregon (12.1%) and South Carolina (11.4%), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, 46 states continue to post rising joblessness, and 12 states and the District of Columbia reported unemployment levels in March that were much higher than the national average of 8.5%.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
State, Local Jobless Rates Top 11 Percent (by Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee)
Jobless Rate Climbs in 46 States, With California at 11.2% (by Stu Woo and Sudeep Reddy, Wall Street Journal)
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