Calif. Jobless Rate Dips Slightly After Hiring Slowdown In April
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Employers trimmed their payrolls in April even as California's unemployment rate dipped slightly lower, according to data released Friday.
KNX 1070's Vytas Safronikas reports the slight drop in the state unemployment rate could be attributed to those job seekers who have simply given up their search for work.
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Nearly 4,200 jobs were lost last month while the unemployment rate in California dropped below 11 percent to 10.9 percent, bringing an end to eight straight months of job growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Deputy director of the California Employment Development Department Loree Levy said more people are realizing that the recovery could be much slower than anticipated.
"Certainly things have improved," said Levy. "Would we like to see stronger numbers and jobs? Absolutely, and hopefully that's what we're going to see in the months ahead and certainly toward the end of this year."
Slightly over 2 million people in California remain unemployed, with a little over 1 million continuing to collect unemployment benefits, Levy said.
The state's jobless rate is the third-highest in the U.S. The national rate slipped to 8.1 percent last month.
