One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
California's Unemployment Plateaus, Still 3rd Highest Rate in U.S.
There were basically no changes in California's unemployment rate from June to July, which is holding steady at 12.3%, California's Employment Development Department announced today. But in Los Angeles County, the rate increased from 12.3% to 13.4%.
Statewide,9,400 jobs were lost, most in the government sector thanks to Census workers jobs ending, but the private sector grew by 13,700 jobs. L.A. County has a total laborforce of 4,906,300 people with 655,100 of them unemployed last month.
The national unemployment rate sits at 9.3% and California has the third highest rate behind Nevada and Michigan.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was quick to chime in this morning. “In order for California to experience a full recovery, there must be robust hiring in the private sector," he said in a statement. "That is why I have been so adamant in my opposition to tax increases - both because additional burdens on employers will stymie growth and because we shouldn’t penalize private sector employment in order to subsidize public sector wages and retirement benefits."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
