A stubborn pandemic that’s led to strict attempts to slow its spread pushed Los Angeles and Orange counties to the third-highest unemployment rate in November among the nation’s 51 largest job markets.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranking of those metro areas showed L.A.-O.C. joblessness at 9.6% vs. 3.8% a year ago. The 5.8 percentage-point increase ranked No. 3 nationally, too.
And the sour job market likely has not improved since November. Coronavirus cases and deaths have soared since Thanksgiving and mandatory business restrictions have been tightened.
The Inland Empire’s 7.9% joblessness ranked No. 7 vs. 3.7% a year ago. The 4.2 point increase ranked 10th largest nationally.
Elsewhere in California …
Sacramento: 6.7% rate in November — No. 17 of 51 metros vs. 3.2% a year ago. The 3.5 point increase ranked No. 19 nationally.
San Diego: 6.6% — No. 19 vs. 2.9% a year ago; 3.7 point increase was No. 16.
San Francisco: 6.1% — No. 21 vs. 2.4% a year ago; 3.7 point increase was No. 16.
San Jose: 5.1% — No. 39 vs. 2.4% a year ago; 2.7 point increase ranked was No. 30.
Birmingham, Ala., had the nation’s lowest joblessness at 3.8%, then Minneapolis at 3.9%, Nashville and Salt Lake City at 4.2%. Highest rates? Las Vegas at 11.5% and New Orleans at 9.8%. After L.A.-O.C. was New York at 9.5%.
The smallest gain in 12 months was seen in St. Louis, where the rate was up 1.2 points to 4.3%; Minneapolis rose 1.3 points to 3.9%; Cincinnati at 1.4 points to 4.8%; and Birmingham at 1.6 points to 3.8%.
Largest gains? Las Vegas, up 7.9 points to 11.5%, and New York at 6.1 points to 9.5%.After L.A.-O.C. came Detroit, up 5.4 points to 8.9%.
Among the states, California’s 8.2% rate in November was sixth-highest vs. 3.9% a year ago. The 4.3 percentage-point increase ranked No. 7 nationally.
The lowest rates were found in Nebraska and Vermont at 3.1%, South Dakota at 3.5% and Iowa at 3.6%. Highest rates? New Jersey at 10.2%, Hawaii and Nevada at 10.1% and New York at 8.4%.
The smallest gain in 12 months? Nebraska, up 0.1 points to 3.1%, South Dakota, up 0.1 points to 3.5%, Vermont, up 0.7 points to 3.1% and Iowa, up 0.8 points to 3.6%.
Largest gain? Hawaii, up 7.5 points to 10.1%, New Jersey, up 6.5 points to 10.2%, Nevada, up 6.4 points to 10.1% and Texas, up 4.6 points to 8.1%.
