LA County's Unemployment Rate on the Rise

According to latest statistics, the number of the county’s current 604,000 unemployed is growing.

Los Angeles County’s unemployment rate continues to grow, rising 12.5 percent in August from a revised 12.3 percent in July, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released by the Employment Development Department.

However the month’s current rate is slightly below the 12.8 percent rate of August 2010.

Glendora’s revised unemployment numbers for August 2011 sits at 6.6 percent.

The county’s unemployment rate is above the state average, which is 12.1 percent in August. State numbers also grew to 12 percent. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 9.1 percent in August and July, and 9.6 percent a year ago.

Nonfarm employment declined by 12,000 jobs in Los Angeles County between July and August. The hardest hit sector was government, which lost 6,700 jobs.

Despite the , which boasted job growth in specific job industries, the surge in jobs “had yet to generate sufficient employment growth to make much of a dent in unemployment.”

- City News Service contributed to this report.