Maine unemployment rate dips slightly in July to 4.6 percent

The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 California households, the employment department said.

Unemployment levels dropped last month in all but five of South Carolina’s 46 counties. Financial activities increased for the third straight month (+1,500). Jobs at clothing and clothing accessory stores saw a growth of 5.6 percent for the month. Contra Costa County came in second to that, with 5.2 percent unemployment.

“Once again we see a substantial increase in nonfarm employment compared to a year ago”, said John Albin, commissioner of labor.

The broadest measure of those who are unemployed averaged 11.9 percent in Louisiana for the year ending in June, the most recent figures released.

While the oil and gas industry continues to slump nationwide, Weld County still shows an increase of workers in the construction and mining industry of 400 workers since July after a gain of 800 in June. In Iowa, which is also the site of the first presidential contest in the nation, the rate rose marginally while still pegging low at 3.8% from 3.7% earlier. It is also lower than the July 2014 Wisconsin unemployment rate, which was 5.4 percent. The largest of these decreases occurred in the East North Central (-1.2 percentage points). In 14 states however, the jobless rates recorded a rise and in 12 others it remained unchanged. West Virginia had the highest rate, 7.5 percent.

“Every indicator points San Diego in a positive direction, especially employment growth figures, which are really picking up speed, ” said Phil Blair, CEO of Manpower San Diego. It’s the fifth consecutive month that Colorado has posted year-over-year job gains in the 2 percent range, said Brian Lewandowski, assistant director of the Business Research Division at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business.

Unemployment is down 0.6 percent from July 2014, and 1.3 percent lower than it was in July 2013.

Even with that ugly number, that’s still 1.1 percent better than 2014.