Is California “back,” as the liberal press and our governor so proudly proclaim? No. Not hardly.
In November, California was tied for the second highest/worst state unemployment rate. In December, we’ve got second place all to ourselves at 7.0%.
The national unemployment rate was 5.6%. Only “Deliverance” Mississippi was worse. The national unemployment rate not including CA is 5.4%, making the CA unemployment rate 29.4% higher than the average of the other 49 states.
http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm
We were at 4.8% in Nov, 2006 – vs. national 4.6%
Using the 2014 U-6 measure of unemployment (includes involuntary part-time workers), CA is just behind Nevada at 15.2% vs. national 12.0%. National U-6 not including CA is 11.6%, making CA’s U-6 31.4% higher than the average of the other 49 states.
http://www.bls.gov/lau/stalt.htm
Remember that in December, California — a state of over 38,800,000 people — created only seven hundred NET new jobs in the entire state. Pathetic.
Moreover the “Largest growth sector was 8,300 jobs in Leisure & Hospitality (average annual wage $23,950); largest decline sector was 12,300 jobs in construction (average annual wage $57,100).”