California's unemployment rate nearly tripled to 15.5 percent in April.
The nation's most populous state has lost more jobs in one month than it did during the two-and-a-half year Great Recession a decade ago, when the high was 12.3 percent.
The unemployment rate increased 10.2 percentage points since March. It's the largest one month increase since 1976 when the state began using its current formula to measure job losses.
According to the Employment Development Department (EDD), the unemployment rate in San Luis Obispo County was 13.7 percent in April, up from 3.8 percent in March and 2.6 percent in April of 2019.
The unemployment rate was the same in Santa Barbara County - 13.7 percent - up from 5.7 percent in March and 3.4 percent in April of 2019.
The EDD says every one of California's eleven industry sectors lost jobs in April. The leisure and hospitality industry suffered the most with a loss of 866,200 jobs.
Overall, California lost 2,344,700 non-farm payroll jobs in April, the largest job loss in state history.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate reached 14.7 percent as all 50 states plus the District of Columbia reported increased job losses.
The numbers reflect survey results from the week of April 12. The numbers are likely far higher now.
