US Unemployment Rate 5%, Drops In 27 States

Unemployment numbers released Friday by the state Employment Development Department show Fresno County’s unemployment rate in November increased to 9.9 percent from a revised 9.2 percent in October.

The national jobless rate last month was 5 percent. The Lincoln rate also dropped two-tenths of a point, to 2.1 percent, and was also two-tenths of a point under the November 2014 figure. The largest decrease was in construction, which lost 2,000 jobs, an expected seasonal decline.

Six categories (mining and logging; information; financial activities; professional and business services; other services and government) reported job declines over the month, down 15,000 jobs.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate ticked up in November, with the number of jobless people rising even as people exited the labor force. Government added 1,800 jobs.

Trade, transportation and utilities added 3,700 jobs in November, 2,600 of them in retail trade as stores prepared for the holiday season.

In another positive development, the unemployment rate in the county’s largest city, Los Angeles, fell to 6 percent from 6.3 percent.

The jobless rate for the county is at one of its lowest levels since before the Great Recession, just short of the 5.3 percent mark it dipped to in September, the data revealed. In contrast, nonfarm employment grew by 1,100 jobs.

On the losing side, both the manufacturing and entertainment sectors shed about 7,500 jobs. The result was a slight increase in the number of unemployed, from 11,600 to 11,700; but with the percentage rate going unchanged.

Twenty-seven states had November unemployment rates that decreased compared with October, 11 states had increases and 12 states experienced no change. The mining and logging sector lost 800 jobs, nearly 10 percent of the 8,200 jobs reported a year ago. At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 54,438 in November, compared with 46,203 in October and 60,211 in November of previous year.