Sonoma County unemployment hits 10.2 percent

<p>Sonoma County unemployment soared above 10 percent in June — for the first time since early 1983 — as students entered a tight job market, state labor analysts said Friday.</p><p>About 26,400 county residents were looking for work last month, more than 78 percent above the same month in 2008. </p><p>The jobless rate was 10.2 percent, up from 9.6 percent in May. </p><p>Young people are competing against experienced workers for a shrinking pool of jobs, said Ben Stone, who heads the county’s Economic Development Board. </p><p>“It’s the worst I’ve seen it in 20 or 30 years in terms of student opportunities,” he said. </p><p>Sonoma County’s jobless rate hasn’t been above 10 percent for 26 years, according to state records. </p><p>The county continues to shed jobs in retail, government, tourism and finance, said Devla Singh, a consultant for the state Employment Development Department. </p><p>Mendocino County's jobless rate was 10.1 percent in June, down from 10.2 percent in May. In Lake County, unemployment was 15.7 percent, up from 15.5 percent in May. </p><p>California unemployment was 11.6 in June, unchanged from May. The nation’s jobless rate was 9.7 percent for the same period.</p>