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California unemployment rate dips as employers add new jobs

Damian Dovarganes/AP

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo, a waitress serves patrons sitting outdoors for dinner separated by plastic dividers with national flags at Mel's drive-in restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, Calif. California has now regained more than half of the 2.7 million jobs it lost at the start of the pandemic, state officials said Friday, June 17, 2021, a trend driven by restaurants and hotels hiring more people as the state gradually reopens its economy. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

By: Associated Press

Posted at 1:07 PM, Jun 18, 2021

and last updated 2021-06-18 16:07:18-04

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California employers added more than 100,000 jobs in May for the fourth month in a row. Numbers released Friday by the Employment Development Department show California has regained more than half of the 2.7 million jobs it lost at the start of the pandemic.

Of the 1.4 million jobs California has regained since last year, a third of them have come from the leisure and hospitality industry.

The unemployment rate dipped slightly to 7.9% from 8% in April. It’s still one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Officials say there's a long way to go despite the job gains in the past few months.

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California unemployment rate dips as employers add new jobs

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