California Accounts for Half of U.S. Job Loss | Los Angeles Times

10:46 AM PDT, August 8, 2003

California Accounts for Half of U.S. Job Loss
-New figures for July show that the state's employers cut another 21,800 jobs from their payrolls, the sharpest decline this year.

By Marla Dickerson, Times Staff Writer

California's labor market declined sharply in July as the state's employers axed another 21,800 jobs or nearly half the positions lost in the entire nation last month, according to government data released today.

Analysts cautioned that the figures by the state's Employment Development Department could be overstated because of seasonal factors. The government sector took the heaviest pounding, due largely to declines in local education. Those jobs are notoriously tricky to adjust for the seasonal ebb and flow of teachers from the classroom.

Even so, there was little to cheer about in July's numbers as California struggles along with the rest of the nation amid a "jobless recovery." Nearly every sector of the California labor market posted losses, from retailing and transportation to manufacturing to business services, demonstrating a widespread reluctance among employers to hire.

More at the Los Angeles Times

I knew it was bad, but to see it all laid out like that in vivid color...thanks for indirectly reminding me that I need to register to vote in my new location.


:(