Unemployment in Los Angeles County dipped slightly in June to 19.4% as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on the Southland's economy. That's down from 21.1% in May, according to figures released by the state's Employment Development Department.
Orange County also saw their unemployment rate dip slightly, with June's numbers showing 13.7%, down from 14.5% in May. Both regions are well-above the pre-coronavirus-era unemployment rate of 4.4%.
Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 14.9% in June, down from 16.4% in May, but well above the 4% rate from June 2019. The comparable estimates for the nation were 11.1% in June, 13.3% in May and 3.7% in June 2019.
The economy was helped along by nonfarm employment in L.A. County increasing by 147,000 jobs between May and June, when restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen for a few weeks.
The state's overall unemployment rate dropped to 14.9 percent in June as employers across the state added 558,200 nonfarm jobs. The data showed that industries most affected by the shutdown due to the pandemic had some of the largest job gains in June as health restrictions in many areas were lifted.
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