Unemployment rates continued to drop in California and the Bay Area in April, according to state employment data released today.
The California unemployment rate fell to 9.0 percent in April, down from 9.4 percent in March and well below a year ago when it stood at 10.7 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.
In the Bay Area, the jobless rate was down in many counties, including San Francisco, which decreased to 5.4 percent in April.
The city's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in February and 6.1 percent in March. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said today that unemployment now stands at a five-year low in the city.
"San Francisco's steady economic recovery is the result of our continued focus on job creation, education and training residents for the demand of the 21st century workforce," Lee said in a statement.
"San Franciscans are getting back to work across the spectrum of job sectors -- from hospitality to construction to technology to service industry jobs and we will continue to help these sectors grow in our city," Lee said.
Marin County, which consistently has the lowest unemployment rate in the state, dropped to 4.6 percent last month.
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The highest unemployment rate in the Bay Area for April was in Solano County at 8.1 percent.
However, that figure fell from 8.9 percent the previous month. Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped to 7.5 percent in April, a slight decrease from March's 7.6 percent rate.
