LAKE COUNTY — The county”s unemployment rate dropped below 16 percent for the first time in 2011 during September, according to preliminary data released by the state”s Employment Development Depart-ment.
Lake County”s 15.8-percent jobless rate represented a 0.8-percent decrease compared to August and a 1.2-percent drop from September 2010.
Nine industry sectors gained jobs or remained unchanged during the month, with a notable increase in government hires. Seasonal farming cutbacks represented the most significant decline of September.
Lake County improved its statewide ranking by one spot, moving up to 53rd out of 58 California counties.
Rates for neighboring counties include Colusa at 15 percent, Mendocino at 10.1 percent, Napa at 8.5 percent and Sonoma at 9.4 percent. Marin County again recorded the lowest rate, now at 7.4 percent, while Imperial County remained the worst with 29.6 percent.
California”s rate dropped 0.5 percentage points to 11.4 percent. The U.S. rate also decreased, coming in at 8.8 percent.
