Employment Data
California’s Unemployment Rate Increases To 8.2% in November 2008. The U.S. unemployment rate also increased in October to 6.5%.
The number of people unemployed in California was 1,526,000 – up by 95,000 over the month, and up by 487,000 compared with October of last year.
In November:
Of the unemployed, 614,900 were laid off, 149,200 left their jobs voluntarily, and the remaining were either new entrants or reentrants into the labor market, or persons who completed temporary jobs, according to the federal household survey.
Payroll employment details
ADDED JOBS
Four categories (natural resources and mining; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government) added jobs over the month, gaining 4,600 jobs.
Educational and health services showed the largest gain, up by 2,400 jobs.
Four industry divisions (natural resources and mining; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government) posted job gains over the year, adding 77,300 jobs. Educational and health services showed the strongest gain on a numerical basis, adding 52,100 jobs (a 3.1 percent increase). On a percentage of growth basis, natural resources and mining showed the strongest gain, up 5.5 percent (adding 1,400 jobs).
DECLINED JOBS
Seven categories (construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services) reported job declines this month, down 31,000 jobs.
Trade, transportation and utilities posted the largest decline over the month, down by 11,500 jobs.
Seven categories (construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services) posted job declines over the year, down 178,600 jobs. Construction employment showed the largest decline on both a numerical and percentage basis, down by 65,900 jobs (a decline of 7.6 percent).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIMS
In related data, the EDD reported that there were 527,918 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the October survey week. This compares with 500,962 last month and 335,930 last year. At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 67,491 in October 2008, compared with 53,418 in September and 48,157 in October of last year.
The latest Employer Costs for Employee Compensation.
(Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
Benefits for state and local government employees cost an average of $13.41 per hour worked in September 2008, $4.21 of which was for health insurance. Employer costs for civilian workers averaged $28.87 per hour worked; $20.13 for wages and salaries and $8.74 for b
