It was 11.3% in November - the lowest it's been in nearly 2 1/2 years. The jobless rate is also down in the Sacramento area. Diane Patterson is with the state Employment Development Department…or EDD:

"The November unemployment rate for the Sacramento region at 10.9%, the last time we've seen the rate under 11% was in May of '09 when it rested at 10.6%."

November's rate in the Sacramento area was down from 11.4% in October…and below the 12.8% unemployment rate of November 2010. The Sacramento region has gained 4,000 jobs in the past month…mostly in retail because of holiday hiring.

Statewide, EDD says California has gained more than 211,000 jobs since the start of this year. Still, more than 2 million people remain out of work in the state.