California Unemployment Rate Stands at More Than 16%

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California’s unemployment rate in April was much higher than previously thoughtState officials announced last month the state’s jobless rate in April was 15.5%. But Friday, the Employment Development Department said the rate actually was 16.4%. It’s a remarkable revision that represents the state’s unprecedented job losses because of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, May’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 16.3% as the state added 141.600 jobs last month. California’s unemployment rate remains far higher than the 12.3% rate the state hit at the height of the Great Recession a decade ago. Overall, the state has lost more than 2 million jobs since the coronavirus struck.