California Unemployment Rate Drops
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The unemployment rate in California dropped last month and a similar trend occurred in parts of the Bay Area, according to state jobs data released Friday.
The state's unemployment rate decreased to 8.3 percent in December, down from 8.5 percent the month before, according to the state's Employment Development Department.
The lowest jobless figures in the state were in Marin County with a 4.2 percent rate, a drop from 4.6 percent in November.
San Mateo County also had a low unemployment rate, falling from 5 percent in November to 4.6 percent in December.
San Francisco's jobless rate also dropped from 5.2 percent to 4.8 percent.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee issued a statement this morning following the release of the latest unemployment numbers.
He said the lower rates "demonstrate that San Francisco's economy continues to recover because of our relentless focus on jobs, fiscal prudence, and the hard work and innovation of our residents."
San Francisco had the third-lowest unemployment rate among the state's 58 counties.
Solano County had the highest jobless rates in the Bay Area, but from November to December those numbers went down from 7.6 percent to 7.3 percent.
In the U.S., unemployment dipped below 7 percent to 6.7 percent in December.
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