The El Centro metropolitan area had the highest unemployment in the nation for November, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics employment summary released Tuesday.
El Centro had 29.2 percent unemployment, which is lower than October's rate of about 30 percent. Yuma followed with 21.1 percent.
Of the 17 areas with unemployment above 15 percent, 11 were in California.
Unemployment rates throughout the country were higher in Nov. 2009 than Nov. 2008, according to the summary. One hundred and twenty five areas had unemployment rates above 10 percent.
Eighty areas had a rate below seven percent, a sharp decline from Nov. 2008 where 255 areas were below seven percent, according to the summary.
Read Wednesday's edition online or in print for further details.
-- ELIZABETH VARIN, staff writer
I am surprise they have the highest unemployment rate, why would anyone want to live here in the first place.
Posted by: Whidbey | January 21, 2010 at 08:57 PM
It's no surprise to me that El Centro is the city with the worst unemployment rate in America, especially during todays troubled economy, because the Imperial Valley has always been notorious for its outreagous unemployment rate even when we're not in a recession along with the fact that Imperial County is the poorest county of all 58 counties, plus Imperial County has always had the worst job market in the whole state of California and always will too.
Posted by: TAHEEN LOPEZ | January 11, 2010 at 03:21 PM
Too bad County Supervisors rejected a Resolution in December to create green jobs for local Imperial County workers. Guess the highest unemployment in the nation isn't enough for them.
Posted by: Treehugger | January 05, 2010 at 02:00 PM