The U.S. unemployment rate also increased in August to 9.6 percent.
In July, the state's unemployment rate was 12.3 percent, and in August 2009, the unemployment rate was 12.0 percent. The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 California households.
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 13,827,900 in August, a decrease of 33,500 over the month, according to a survey of businesses that is larger and less variable statistically. The survey of 42,000 California businesses measures jobs in the economy. The year-over-year change (August 2009 to August 2010) shows a decrease of 113,100 jobs (down 0.8 percent).
EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT IN CALIFORNIA
The federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, shows an increase in the number of employed people during the month. It estimates the number of Californians holding jobs in August was 15,968,000, a decrease of 49,000 from July, and down 71,000 from the employment total in August of last year.
The number of people unemployed in California was 2,261,000 – up by 11,000 over the month, and up by 81,000 compared with August of last year.
