20 POINTS
Feature
2000 California Census: Employment
State of California, Dept. of Finance, Demographic Research Unit, Summary File 3 Analysis

EMPLOYMENT

1 (1)Information on employment status provides a picture of both the workforce and, more broadly, our state's economy. Although census data indicate a definite increase in unemployment rates between 1990 and 2000, (2) it should be remembered that employment conditions tend to fluctuate with economic cycles and that census figures really provide only a snapshot of labor-market conditions at a specific point in the cycle. Thus, for purposes of comparison over time, decennial census figures may not be ideal for comparing unemployment rates. Census figures are more suited for geographical and other types of cross-sectional comparisons.

Employment Status (P43, P47, P48, P150A-H, PCT35):

2 In 2000, the census divided the 25.6 million persons age 16 and over in California into those in the labor force-16 million, or 62 percent-and those who weren't-9.6 million, or 38 percent (see Table 6.1). The labor force was subdivided into the armed forces (149,000 persons) and the civilian labor force (15.8 million). The civilian labor force was further divided into the employed (14.7 million) and the unemployed (1.1 million).

3 The total number of persons age 16 and over increased 12 percent from 1990 to 2000. (3) However, those in the labor force increased by only about 5 percent while those not in the labor force increased 28 percent. The military base closings in California during the 1990s were reflected in the 45 percent drop in the number of persons in the state who were members of the armed forces in 2000.

4 In addition to the workforce composition, two additional measures are commonly used to describe the working age population-the unemployment rate and the labor-force participation rate (LFPR). (4) The unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed persons by the total civilian labor force. On April 1, 2000, the unemployment rate was 7.0 percent, up from 6.6 percent in 1990. The labor-force participation rate was calculated by dividing the number of persons in the labor force by the total population age 16 and over. California's LFPR fell in 2000 to 62 percent from 67 percent in 1990.

5 Geographic differences in unemployment rates reflect regional differences in the labor market. The unemployment rate differed markedly by county, ranging from 3 percent in Marin to just over 14 percent in Mariposa. In general, the lowest unemployment rates were found in the counties surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area, the mountain counties along highways 1-80 and U.S. 50, (5) and the coastal counties surrounding Los Angeles County (but excluding that county itself) as shown in Figure 6.1. The highest unemployment rates were found in Trinity, Imperial, and the counties of the Central Valley south of Sacramento County.

6 In addition to geography, unemployment rates vary by other factors such as sex, age or race. When broken down by sex, the 2000 state unemployment rate was 6.8 percent for males and 7.3 percent for females.

7 Although unemployment rates for males and females in most California counties were similar, there were some noteworthy differences. In Modoc and Trinity counties, for example, male unemployment rates were over 9 percentage points higher than female rates. (6) This was probably due to the high unemployment rates in timber-related industries in 2000.One way that a student might use the information in this document is to
Responses
A find out why people are unemployed.find out why people are unemployed.
B check to see how many people now have jobs.check to see how many people now have jobs.
C talk with an unemployed person to verify the facts.talk with an unemployed person to verify the facts.
D compare it with similar information from other states.