IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
California’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent in June, as the state added 22,900 non-farm jobs during the month.
That was essentially unchanged from May but down 1.2 percent compared with June 2014, according to a report released Friday by the California Employment Development Department
The state has added more than 1.9 million jobs since the recovery began in February 2010, about 10.3 percent of all job growth during that time, the report stated.
About 17.8 million Californians held jobs during June, up from 35,000 in May and up 483,000 compared with June 2014.
Conversely, nearly 1.2 million Californians were out of work last month, down 18,000 from May and down 217,000 from the employment total in June 2014, according to the report.
“Today’s job numbers are another strong showing for California,” said Jordan Levine, economist and director of economic research for Beacon Economics in Los Angeles, in a statement. “I hesitate to refer to this as a recovery any longer. This is now an expansion.
“Not only is California adding jobs across most of its industries and regions, but that growth is outpacing the nation and most other states in the nation.”
Six categories – manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities, financial activities, professional and business services and education and health – collectively added 33,000 jobs between May and June.
Five categories – mining and logging, construction, information, leisure and hospitality and government – collectively lost 10,100 jobs month-over-month, with more than half of those in leisure and hospitality, according to the report.
California’s unemployment rate is determined by a federal survey of 5,500 households.
The U.S. unemployment rate during June was 5.3 percent.
