California Jobless Rate Rises After 2 Months Of Decline
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) - California's unemployment rate rose back to 11 percent in March after two months of decline.
The rate released Friday was up just one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month but was the first time since December that California's jobless rate hit or exceeded 11 percent.
The uptick in California contrasts with the national trend. The nationwide jobless rate fell in March to 8.2 percent.
KCBS' Mark Seelig Reports:
Despite the increase, California's rate in March was still nearly a full percentage point better than the 11.9 percent unemployment rate a year ago.
The state Employment Development Department reported Friday that more than 18,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were created in March. That adds to a total gain of nearly 386,000 jobs since the recovery began in September 2009.
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