SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The unemployment rate in California is still falling, dropping to 11.7 percent in May, but the number of jobs in the state is down too.
Data released Friday show California's jobless rate fell in May for the fifth month in a row, even though a survey of employers showed the state had lost about 29,000 payroll jobs. The state rate in April dipped below 12 percent for the first time since 2009.
Weak and spotty job growth has been common during the economic recovery from the recent recession.
People who are not seeking work aren't counted in the labor force, so the jobless rate can go down even with fewer jobs.
California unemployment in May 2010 was 12.4 percent.