Most of those month-over-month losses were in
government.
"Primarily state government; down 1,100 jobs…but also a loss
in local, of 400, and a loss of federal, of 100.
Alex Alvarado is with the state Employment Development
Department. He says the retail sector…which usually sees big gains
in December, because of the holidays, didn't come
close.
"The average gain was 2,000 jobs for December. And this
December we only gained 500 jobs."
The region's unemployment rate was 12.5% in December…down just
a tenth-of-a-point from the previous month.
Economist Sanjay Varshney says we can expect the local jobless
rate to stay in double-digits in 2011.
"Our region is more challenged because of our exposure to the
state government which has had major challenges with the deficit
issues."
Varshney heads Sacramento State's College of Business
Administration which has just released its annual Sacramento
Business Review.
The report says local unemployment will hover between 11.5%
and 13.5% this year.