Unemployment Rates Rise in County, State

—By Bay City News Service

Unemployment rates rose in July in the Bay Area and statewide, even as the national unemployment rate declined, state officials said Friday.

The jobless rate in California increased to 8.7 percent in July from 8.5 percent in June, according to a report released by the California Employment Development Department. That rate remains significantly below that of July 2012, when it stood at 10.6 percent.

In the Bay Area, where unemployment in most counties remains below the state average, unemployment rates also rose from June to July.

Santa Clara County's rate increased from 6.8 to 7.1 percent.

San Francisco saw a small increase from 5.8 to 5.9 percent, and Marin County, which typically has the lowest unemployment rate in California, rose from 5.1 to 5.3 percent.

East Bay and North Bay counties saw slightly larger jumps, with Alameda County rising from 7.4 to 7.8 percent, Contra Costa County from 7.3 to 7.7 percent and Sonoma County from 6.7 to 7.1 percent.

Solano County, which continues to hold the highest unemployment rates in the Bay Area, had its rate jump from 8.2 to 8.5 percent.

The national unemployment rate declined to 7.4 percent in July, officials said.

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