California jobless rate 16.3% in May, down a bit from April

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Published June 19, 2020 3:15 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California's unemployment rate in April was much higher than previously thought. State 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.

Article Topic Follows: Coronavirus

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The Associated Press

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