Unemployment Rates Fall in California

By Bay City News Service

Unemployment rates fell sharply across California in September, including the Bay Area where one county's rate fell below 6 percent, according to a report released today by state employment officials.

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, 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.