California Unemployment Rate Now Third-Highest in Nation
New figures from the Employment Development Department show that the unemployment rate in California jumped to 6.2% in March, the highest rate since July 2004, when the rate was at the same mark. California is now only behind Michigan (7.2%) and Alaska (6.7%) in unemployment. Counties with high numbers of jobs in housing-related employment appear to have been hit hardest, with Riverside County the worst affected (7.4% unemployment).