California’s Unemployment Rate Inches Higher, Local Rate Stays Steady

California’s unemployment rate remained fairly steady last month, creeping up one-tenth of a percentage point in August to 12.4 percent.

The state Employment Development Department said Friday that the jobless rate grew from 12.3 percent in June and July.

The rate is slightly higher than in August 2009, when the rate was 12 percent.

As California’s unemployment rate increased slightly to 12.4 percent in August, Riverside County’s rate held at 15.3 percent the same as July. In June the rate was 14.5 percent.

The department says the state lost 33,500 non-farming jobs in August.

More than 2.26 million people are unemployed in California. That’s up 11,000 over the month and an increase of 81,000 compared to August 2009.

The state’s jobless rate exceeds the nation’s 9.6 percent unemployment.