Jobless Rate Climbs to Almost 12% in El Dorado County

Placer County’s unemployment crept upward again for a second consecutive month, rising to 10.5 percent, according to state Employment Development Department figures.

The department’s figures for March were released Friday and show Placer County’s jobless rate still lower than adjacent counties El Dorado, Yolo and Sacramento.

The unemployment rate for the four-county region was 11.6 percent in March, up from a revised 11.4 percent in February, but below the year-ago estimate of 12.3 percent.

The unemployment rate was 11.9 percent in El Dorado County, 11.4 percent in Sacramento County and 10.4 percent in Nevada County.

That compares with the Labor Market Information Division’s unemployment rates in February of 11.6 percent in El Dorado County, 11.2 percent in Sacramento County and 10.1 percent in Nevada County.

Justin Wehner, a labor market analyst with the information division, said that March was a below-average month for job increases.

“When you look at all the changes going back 22 years, the average increase from February to March was 5,500 jobs,” Wehner said. “The average increase is pretty high but this month was below what it usually averages.”

Statewide, the unemployment rate increased to 11 percent in March from 10.9 percent in February.

The Employment Development Department also reported ...
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