The dire economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic were laid bare Friday with the release of figures putting Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 19.6% in April, well above the 6.7% rate in March.
The 19.6% rate dwarfed the 4.5% unemployment level from April 2019, according to the state Employment Development Department.
In Orange County, where seasonally adjusted numbers were not available, the April jobless rate was 13.8%.
Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 15.5% in April, up from 5.5% in March and well above the 4.2% level in April 2019. The comparable estimates for the nation were 14.7% in April, 4.4% in March and 3.6% in April 2019.
According to the EDD, total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County dropped by 685,000 jobs between March and April, a 15% decline, dropping the number of positions to just under 3.9 million jobs.