California employers picked up hiring in April, adding 59,600 jobs during the month, according to state data released Friday.
Unemployment, which has been steadily declining, reached 5.3%, inching closer to the national unemployment rate of 5%. April marked the lowest unemployment rate for the state since June 2007.
The state continued to outpace the country in job growth, adding 450,200 jobs since April 2015. Employment in California increased by 2.8% in the last 12 months, compared with 1.9% for the national economy. The state’s job growth last month nearly doubled the increase in April 2015, which saw an uptick of just 31,200.
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Ten industries boosted job growth in April, adding 61,400 positions in total. Professional services, which has seen some of the strongest job gains in the state since the recovery, posted the largest uptick, adding 17,900 jobs, or about 30% of the total net increase in the state.
Information, which includes technology but also entertainment and publishing businesses, was the only area that cut jobs in April, registering a loss of 1,800 positions.
The showing follows a patchy first quarter for the state. In January, California employers cut payrolls by 4,000, marking the first time the state lost jobs since June 2011. The state rebounded in February, adding 46,600 jobs, but posted a meager gain of 5,200 jobs in March.
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