California Business Minute™

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organization that formulates public policy strategies and
builds local capacity to address critical workforce issues.
CWA works to promote, enhance and serve the interest of
local workforce development.

For further information, contact us  www.calworkforce.org
or at 916 325-1610

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

The state’s unemployment rate decreased slightly to 12.4 percent according
to the Employment Development Department, EDD.

Five out of eleven employment sectors illustrated growth for the month. They include
construction; government; manufacturing; mining and logging; along with trade,
transportation and utilities.

The recent EDD figures illustrate that 55 out of the 58 counties in the state are in
excess of the national unemployment level of 9.0 percent for January 2011 based upon
seasonally adjusted figures.

Marin County joined Mono County to have the lowest unemployment rate in the state at
8.2 percent.  They are joined by San Mateo County as the three counties below the
nation unemployment rate. Meanwhile, Colusa County replaces Imperial County with the
highest unemployment rate in the state.  Colusa has 27.5 percent unemployment up from
25.2 percent in December 2010. Imperial County has dropped over 3 percent to 25.1
percent and has continued down from 30.4 in September.  Unfortunately three other
counties join Colusa and Imperial with unemployment in excess of 20 percent.  These
include Sutter, 21.5%; Trinity, 21% and Merced, 21.2%. However, Plumas and Lake
Counties are close to the mark. Plumas dropped off the list this month and is now at
19.8%. Lake County is nearing the mark with 19.7%

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.