Solano County Unemployment Rate Creeps Up to 12%

Solano County’s unemployment rate went up in June, according to state figures released Friday, from 11.3 percent to 12 percent.

The numbers represent an additional 1,700 people becoming unemployed in June, to a total of 25,300 unemployed people. The labor force also rose by 800 people in June from May, to total of 210,800.

The state releases city by city unemployment data -- with Suisun City at 12.4 percent and Fairfield at 13.1 percent -- but state Employment Development Department economist Ruth Kavanagh said the numbers are based on 2000 census data and pro-rated based on population, meaning the numbers may not accurately reflect the unemployment rate in each city that way county numbers reflect the unemployment rate for the county.

California's unemployment rate also went up slightly in June, according
to a report released by the state's Employment Development Department.

Throughout California the jobless rate rose from 11.7 percent in
May to 11.8 percent in June, department officials said.

In June 2010, the state unemployment rate was 12.4 percent.

In the Bay Area, the highest unemployment rate this month was in Solano County. Marin County had the lowest rate in the region at 8.0 percent.

National unemployment also increased last month to 9.2 percent. The state's unemployment rate is based on a federal survey of 5,500 California households and does not include agricultural jobs.

Bay City News Service contributed to this article.