LAKE COUNTY — Countywide unemployment reached its lowest rate in nearly four years last month, according to data released by the California Employment Development Department Friday.
Lake County”s preliminary September rate was 13.4 percent. Unemployment hasn”t been that low in the county since December 2008.
The September rate represented a 0.6-percent decrease compared to August and was 1.6 percent lower than the previous year.
Wage and salary jobs actually declined during the month but a dip in the overall civilian labor force helped the unemployment rate.
Lake County”s ranking statewide worsened by four spots, dropping to 49th out of 58 California counties.
Rates for neighboring counties included Colusa at 14 percent, Mendocino at 8.8 percent, Napa at 6.9 percent and Sonoma at 7.6 percent.
Marin County kept its stranglehold on the best rate in California, coming in at 5.8 percent. Imperial County retained the highest rate at 28.5 percent.
Still, Lake County”s rate stayed well above state and national totals.
The comparable California rate, not seasonally adjusted, was 9.7 percent — 0.7 percent lower than August.
National unemployment dropped 0.3 percentage points to 7.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
