California Unemployment Rate Grows Slightly

SACRAMENTO -State officials say California’s unemployment rate grew slightly to 12.5 percent in January.

The latest employment figures were released Friday. The state’s unemployment rate in December was 12.3 percent.

State officials had previously reported December’s unemployment rate at 12.4 percent, but revised that figure Friday.

Despite the increase in unemployment in January, the state added 32,500 jobs. The construction industry saw the largest increase with an additional 16,200 jobs.

The information, financial activities, and professional and business services industries were the only ones that lost jobs.

The national unemployment rate, meanwhile, is holding steady at 9.7 percent.