California's unemployment rate has fallen below 7% for the first time since March of last year at the start of the pandemic.
Data made public Friday shows hiring in California slowed significantly in November compared to October. But the state still added 45,700 new jobs in the month and that accounted for nearly 22% of all U.S. job growth in November.
Despite the progress, California's 6.9% unemployment rate is still the highest in the nation.
White-collar office jobs accounted for more than 41% of California's job gains in November.
California has recuperated nearly 70% of the 2.7 million jobs the state lost at the start of the pandemic.
In San Luis Obispo County, the unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in November, down from 4.3 percent in October. In November 2020, it was 5.4 percent.
Santa Barbara County's unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in November, down from 4.4 percent in October. It was 5.7 percent one year ago.
