Shasta County’s preliminary unemployment rate for February was 5.9%, the same as it was in January, as well as February of last year. The labor force expanded by 400 from January and it was up by 1,300 from the previous February. Most industries were unchanged month-to-month. There were year-over gains in wholesale trade, construction, private education, and professional and business services, but losses in local and federal government jobs. Tehama County had a 6.5% rate. It was 6.9% for Trinity County and 9.6% for Siskiyou County. Unemployment for California was 5.5% and it was 4.7% nationwide.
-Steve Gibson