subject: Unemployment Worsens In California [print this page] The most recent unemployment data from the California Employment Development Department (EDD) is for July, 2010. And the July report does not paint a pretty picture.
In June of 2010 the statewide unemployment rate was 12.2% (not seasonally adjusted). In July, the state wide rate was 12.8%. In June 21 of California's counties had unemployment rates of over 15%. In July 23 of them did.
Imperial County has had the worst unemployment rate of all the counties in our state. For several months that county's unemployment rate was over 30%. Things had been getting better their in recent months. However, in July the unemployment rate was back up to 30.3%.
According to EDD, the number of unemployed Californians rose by 7,000 in July, 2010 to 2,251,000. This number had fallen in each of the three months prior to July, with the decrease over the period totaling 63,000 persons.
EDD did add that, although the increase in the number of unemployed Californians was a departure from recent trend, an analysis of the components of the labor force model reveals that the increase was due to an adjustment by which the sum of states estimates of unemployment are made equal to total national unemployment. According to EDD, without this adjustment, the data would have shown a substantial decrease in unemployment in July.
One result of these facts is that more and more people in California may need help from food banks and from homeless shelters. As a public service, California Communities United Institute has put lists of both kinds of institutions on our web site. You can find those lists by directing your browser to the following address: http://www.calcomui.org/economicjusticeissues.html
If you need the help of such organizations, or if you have friends who do, feel free to consult those lists to find a food bank or homeless shelter in your area.
As you may have guessed these organizations are being inundated with requests for help. For many of them, their resources are stretched to the limit. If you can donate to them, please do so, so that they can help more people. I do suggest that you call them before sending a donation. Some of them may have moved. You will find their phone numbers and addresses in the lists.
