California Unemployment Rate Unchanged At 10.9 Percent
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) - California's unemployment rate remained unchanged in February at 10.9 percent.
The state Employment Development Department reported Friday that the jobless rate held the same from January, when it dipped below 11 percent for the first time in three years.
Officials said the state added 4,000 nonfarm jobs since the January survey, pointing to a gradual improvement in the state's economy. That builds off a slight gain of 1,500 jobs in January based on revised figures.
The state has added 333,100 jobs since the economic recovery officially began in September 2009.
According to Gautm Godhwani, CEO of job aggregator Simplyhired.com, the Bay Area is showing strong job growth, while Los Angeles and Sacramento aren't faring as well.
"California overall does have sluggish job growth, but I think depending on where you look there's very different results," said the Sunnyvale-based CEO.
KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:
He said manufacturing jobs has been a standout and surprise to many people in the area of growth.
"We've seen obviously ongoing strengths in health care," Godhwani added. And the services sector is another part of the economy that is showing what he considers to be some of the biggest gains.
Weaker areas for job growth include; housing related industries like construction, financial services, and government jobs.
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