California, L.A. unemployment rates edge higher*

This will no doubt fuel the narrative du jour of a faltering economy (even if the reality isn't especially dire). July's jobless rate for California was 8.7 percent, up from 8.5 percent the previous month, while L.A. County was at 9.9 percent from 9.7 percent in June. But the separate payroll survey has California gaining a healthy 38,000 jobs in July, which makes you wonder whether the higher jobless rate just reflected more people entering the workforce (the state's job growth has been outpacing the nation's for much of the past year). L.A. showed a loss of 30,400 payroll jobs from June, but a seasonal drop in education positions accounted for much of the drop (L.A.'s payroll numbers tend to bounce around). So, despite the unwelcome headline numbers, the recovery continues to creak along, step by step.

*Some reaction to jobs report: Michael Bernick says that "If anything, the employment rates and payroll numbers continue to be inflated by the large number of part time jobs. The state breakdowns are not available, but California is likely to be consistent with the national numbers. These showed two-thirds of the jobs added in July were part-time jobs." As for L.A., UCLA Anderson Forecast economist William Yu says, "Over the past year, the biggest winner of job growth is the construction sector, with a 6.6 percent payroll growth. The second is the leisure and hospitality sector with a 5.7 percent job growth. The manufacturing and transportation sectors are stagnating because of slowing exports."

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