Unemployment on Downward Trend in Mountain View

Unemployment rates fell sharply across California in September, including in Mountain View where the rate fell below 6 percent, according to a report released Friday by state employment officials.

Mountain View's unemployment came in at 5.9 percent, 0.3 percent lower than the adjusted August rate of 6.2 percent. The last time the unemployment rate in Mountain View was below 6 percent was in December 2008 when it registered 5.6 percent.

This means that 2,600 people out of a labor force of 43,900 are actively looking for work.

California's unemployment rate dropped to 10.2 percent in September, compared to 10.6 percent in August, according to the state's Employment Development Department. That rate is also down from 11.7 percent in September 2011.

In the Bay Area, the rate in Santa Clara County decreased from the adjusted August figure of 8.4 percent to 7.9 percent in September.

This puts Mountain View sixth in the county for the lowest rate behind Los Gatos at 5.2 percent, Cupertino at 5.1 percent, Palo Alto at 4.2 percent and both Saratoga and Los Altos at 4.0 percent.

Marin County dropped its state-low rate from 6.3 percent to 5.8 percent over the past month, according to the report. San Francisco's rate also dropped sharply from 7.4 percent in August to 6.9 percent in September while Solano County, which typically has the highest unemployment numbers in the region, saw its rate fall to 9.3 percent compared to 10 percent in August.

The state's unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 households throughout California.

Are you part of the 2,600 people still looking for work in Mountain View? Why do you think it's been so difficult? Start the conversation in the comment section below!

Additional reporting by Bay City News