State, County Unemployment Dips in April

Bay Area jobless numbers dropped in April after a small uptick in March, part of a statewide and national trend, according to state employment officials.

The state's unemployment rate in April was 10.9 percent according to the California Employment Development Department, down slightly from March's 11 percent rate. That number was down from 11.8 percent in April 2011.

In Sonoma County, that number was significantly lower, coming in at 8.6.

Elsewhere in the Bay Area, San Francisco's unemployment rate was 7.4 percent in April, sharply down from March's rate of 8.1 percent. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee hailed the news as a sign that job creation efforts are meeting with success.

"As today's unemployment report demonstrates, we are making significant progress putting people back to work in neighborhood small businesses, tech and innovation companies and active construction sites," Lee said in a statement.

Marin County, which has the lowest jobless rate in the state, dropped to 6.4 percent from March's 6.6 percent.

Solano County, which has the highest unemployment rate in the Bay Area, also saw a decline, from 10.9 percent in March to 10.2 percent in April. The national unemployment rate also declined in April to 8.1 percent from 8.2 percent in March. The state's unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 households around California.

Have you noticed a difference in Sonoma County's economy, compared to the state?

-Bay City News and Angela Hart.