California jobless rate below 7%; 1st time since March 2020

By ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's unemployment rate has fallen below 7% for the first time since March of last year at the start of the pandemic.

Data made public Friday shows hiring in California slowed significantly in November compared to October. But the state still added 45,700 new jobs in the month and that accounted for nearly 22% of all U.S. job growth in November.

Despite the progress, California's 6.9% unemployment rate is still the highest in the nation. White collar office jobs accounted for more than 41% of California's job gains in November.

California has recuperated nearly 70% of the 2.7 million jobs the state lost at the start of the pandemic.