Calif.’s unemployment rate remains nation’s 5th highest, as West struggles with jobs

Calif.’s unemployment rate 5th highest in nation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — New federal labor data show that California’s unemployment rate remains the fifth highest in the nation.

The ranking was released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s jobless rate of 12.5 percent in January, which was released last week, remains well above the national rate of 9.7 percent.

The West had the highest unemployment rate of any region, at 10.8 percent.

Michigan leads the nation with an unemployment rate of 14.3 percent, followed by Nevada and Rhode Island.