LAKE COUNTY – Lake County's September 2007 jobless rate was 7.0 percent, down slightly from the August rate of 7.1 percent, according to the latest report from the Employment Development Department (EDD).

While September's unemployment rate is down from August, it's up 1.0 percent from the year-ago, September 2006 rate of 6.0 percent, according to the Dennis Mullins of the EDD's North Coast Region office in Eureka.

Lake County's 7 percent unemployment rate compares to a seasonally unadjusted rate of 5.4 percent for California and 4.5 percent for the U.S., Mullins reported.

Some surrounding county rates included 7.9 percent for Colusa, 5.0 percent for Mendocino and 4.5 percent for Sonoma, according to Mullins. Marin had the lowest rate in the state with 3.8 percent and Imperial County had the highest at 20.8 percent.

Lake's unemployment rate earned it a rank of 42^nd out of the state's 58 counties, according to statistics Mullins provided.

Total industry employment grew by 390 jobs (2.5 percent) between September 2006 and September 2007, ending the year-over period with 16,210 jobs, Mullins reported.

Year-over job growth occurred in farm; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; private educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government, Mullins noted.

He added that year-over job losses occurred in natural resources, mining and construction.

Industry sectors with no change over the year, Mullins said, were financial activities, and professional and business services

The farm sector again led industry gainers adding 90 jobs for the year, Mullins reported. Trade, transportation and utilities, and private educational health services were each up 80 jobs.

Leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, government, other services, and information were up 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 jobs respectively, according to Mullins. natural resources, mining and construction declined slightly, dropping 10 jobs.

{mos_sb_discuss:2}