California, Santa Clara County unemployment rates improve, but uncertainty looms

CALIFORNIA’S JUNE UNEMPLOYMENT rate improved from previous months amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains to be seen how recent statewide closures due to spiking cases and hospitalizations affect jobs across the state.

In June, the state’s unemployment rate improved to 14.9 percent, with the state adding a record 558,200 jobs, according to figures released Friday by the Employment Development Department. This surpassed record gains in May, of 134,200 jobs, and historic losses before that with data dating back to 1990. May’s unemployment rate was 16.3 percent.