March unemployment rate lower than last year

Written by Business Journal staff

All four Central Valley counties followed the same trend in March, as the month-to-month unemployment rate went up but the year-to-year unemployment rate declined, according to the monthly statistics released by the Employment Development Department.

Madera County’s unemployment rate remains the lowest of the four counties at 16.6 percent, followed by Fresno and Kings counties at 17.4 percent and Tulare Counties at 18.3 percent.

The previous month all four counties had lower rates, with Madera County at 15.4 percent, Fresno County at 17.2 percent, Kings County at 16.9 percent and Tulare County at 17.6 percent in February.

But in the year-to-year statistics, each county is doing better compared last March when Madera County was at 17 percent, Fresno County was at 18 percent, Kings County was at 18.2 percent and Tulare County was at 18.7 percent.

However Madera County was the only county showing a decrease in total jobs, as it lost 200. Fresno County gained 2,800, Tulare County increased by 2,100 and Kings County saw a rise of 1,300 total jobs.

The unemployment rate for California was 11.5 percent and the nation was 8.4 percent.

URL to original article: http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/employment/1593-march-unemployment-rate-lower-than-last-year

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