La Mesa Jobless Rate Dips Below 8 Percent for First Time Since May 2009

The unemployment rate in La Mesa continued a downward trend in November, according to data released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. For four straight months the jobless rate has gone down, dipping to 7.7 percent in November after reaching 8.9 percent in July.

Last month’s rate was a 0.4 percentage point decline from October.

The numbers are also looking better across the county and state, as well as nationwide. In San Diego County the unemployment rate dropped to 9.2 percent last month, down from a revised 9.7 percent in October.

California’s rate in November was 10.9 percent and the overall rate in the United States was 8.2 percent. The figures were not adjusted to reflect seasonal hiring trends.

The county added 8,000 nonfarm jobs in November, with the retail trade growing by 4,500 jobs. Education and health services added 3,800 jobs. Five sectors showed declines during November, including 1,000 fewer construction jobs, mostly from specialty trade contractors, according to the EDD.

A statewide EDD survey showed that California added 25,700 nonfarm jobs in November. Seven job categories added jobs over the month, with professional and business services posting the largest increase at 17,300.

Four categories shed jobs in the state: mining and logging; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; and government. Manufacturing and government posted the largest decreases over the month, each down 3,900 jobs.

In November 2010, the non-adjusted unemployment rate in La Mesa was 8.9 percent, the county’s was 10.6 percent, the state’s was 12.5 percent and the nation’s was 9.3 percent.