Employment Development Department

Richard Kelly feels as if he's living in one of those horror movies where the monsters only appear to be dead--and then, uh-oh, they're ba-a-a-a-ck! The Venice seafood dealer last year fought and won a battle with the state Employment Development Department over a tax bill from a failed business venture. He believed he owed the state less than $3,000. The agency, because of a clerical error it took months to acknowledge, claimed the bill was nearly $20,000. Now comes the sequel.

California's economic recovery continued to outpace the nation's in March as its unemployment rate fell to 9.4%, the lowest in more than four years for the Golden State. The state increased its payrolls by 25,500 jobs and pushed down the jobless rate from 9.6% in February, according to data released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. But the economic picture was not all rosy. Although jobs were added because of a rising housing market and continued consumer spending, 14,900 people dropped out of the workforce, mirroring a national trend of job seekers who become discouraged and give up looking for work.

While shoppers prepare for the upcoming Christmas rush, major retailers are looking to staff thousands of new jobs as they establish or expand their Orange County operations. During the past week, nearly 1,400 applicants have lined up at the state Employment Development Department, which is helping Wal-Mart screen employment candidates for a store it will open early next year at Anaheim Plaza. Applications will be accepted through Friday at the EDD office on Gene Autry Way near Anaheim Stadium.

SACRAMENTO - An estimated 400,000 Californians who have been unemployed for more than six months soon will be feeling the bite of federal spending reductions. As of April 28, they'll be getting a 17.7% cut in their weekly unemployment benefits that are paid out by the U.S. Treasury. The state Employment Development Department announced the cuts Wednesday. They are part of the automatic federal government budget cuts known as the sequester, which took effect March 1 after Congress and President Obama failed to agree on an alternative austerity plan.

When 17-year-old Racheal Harris moved to Ventura from Arizona a couple of weeks ago, she didn't worry much about landing a job. "In Phoenix, it was very easy to get a job," said Racheal, who has been out of school for a year. "I got hired everywhere I put in applications." But Southern California, with a jobless rate soaring near 10%, is a different story. Last weekend, Racheal put in 20 applications at stores in the Buenaventura Plaza. She has yet to hear anything back.

California's labor market showed renewed strength in October as employers posted stronger-than-expected job gains, adding 45,800 workers to payrolls ahead of the holiday shopping season. With retail trade and transportation leading last month's hiring surge, the jobless rate ticked down to 10.1% in October from 10.2% the month before, according to data from the state's Employment Development Department. Quiz: The week in business  The state also revised September job gains upward to 32,000 from the previously reported figure of 8,500 net new jobs.

SACRAMENTO - An estimated 400,000 Californians who have been unemployed for more than six months soon will be feeling the bite of federal spending reductions. As of April 28, they'll be getting a 17.7% cut in their weekly unemployment benefits that are paid out by the U.S. Treasury. The state Employment Development Department announced the cuts Wednesday. They are part of the automatic federal government budget cuts known as the sequester, which took effect March 1 after Congress and President Obama failed to agree on an alternative austerity plan.

California's economic recovery continued to outpace the nation's in March as its unemployment rate fell to 9.4%, the lowest in more than four years for the Golden State. The state increased its payrolls by 25,500 jobs and pushed down the jobless rate from 9.6% in February, according to data released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. But the economic picture was not all rosy. Although jobs were added because of a rising housing market and continued consumer spending, 14,900 people dropped out of the workforce, mirroring a national trend of job seekers who become discouraged and give up looking for work.

Like the sluggish box office, the jobs picture in Hollywood isn't looking pretty so far this year. Employment in the motion picture, television and sound recording category fell 7.3% to 114,700 jobs in January, compared with the same period a year ago, according to the latest figures from the state's Employment Development Department. In fact, the employment level in January was the lowest of any month since January 2001, when employment also stood at 106,300 jobs, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

As California's unemployment rate remains stuck at 9.8% in January, some counties in the Golden State reported jobless rates edging up slightly. California's employers added just 1,700 jobs in January, according to the state's Employment Development Department. However, December figures were revised upward to show a net gain of 8,200 jobs instead of the 17,500 loss reported initially reported.  The state has been adding jobs every month since July 2011. Economists say California businesses may be pulling back slightly as a reaction to a payroll tax increase and the state's recent implementation of a sales tax bump and increased tax on wealthy individuals.

California's labor market showed renewed strength in October as employers posted stronger-than-expected job gains, adding 45,800 workers to payrolls ahead of the holiday shopping season. With retail trade and transportation leading last month's hiring surge, the jobless rate ticked down to 10.1% in October from 10.2% the month before, according to data from the state's Employment Development Department. Quiz: The week in business  The state also revised September job gains upward to 32,000 from the previously reported figure of 8,500 net new jobs.

California's unemployment rate climbed in December as fallout from real estate downturn and the state's budget woes continued to weigh on the labor market. The jobless rate rose to 12.5% from 12.4% in November. That stood in contrast to the nation's unemployment rate, which fell to 9.4% in December, from 9.8% the previous month. California employers added just 4,900 jobs to payrolls in December, the Employment Development Department said Friday, after adding 30,500 the month before.

Despite double-digit growth in port traffic, a surge in retail sales and rising consumer confidence, employers added just 1,600 jobs in California in November. The unemployment rate remained steady at 12.4%, the state Employment Development Department said Friday. The state had added 42,300 jobs in October. Economists worry that this is another sign that the recovery will be a jobless one in both the state and the nation. The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.8% in November from 9.6% the month before as employers added just 39,000 jobs.

The state's struggling labor market showed signs of life in October, adding 39,000 jobs in the biggest employment increase since May 2006. The gains were widespread, with employers adding positions in nearly every sector of the economy. But it wasn't enough to make a dent in California's unemployment rate, which remained at 12.4%, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. Still, the performance was a major improvement over September, when payrolls declined by 53,600 jobs.

Despite an appellate court ruling to the contrary, the director of the state Employment Development Department said the agency will continue to verify the legal U.S. residence status of job applicants before referring them to prospective employers. The 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco made the ruling on a lawsuit filed by several minority groups, which argued that the practice was discriminatory.

California's deeply troubled labor market took another hit in August as employers laid off more workers than expected, renewing fears that the state's economic recovery has stalled. Employers cut 33,500 jobs, marking the third straight month of losses and pushing the state's unemployment rate to 12.4%, up from 12.3% in July, according to data released Friday by the Employment Development Department. California has lost 113,100 jobs since August 2009. Last month's losses were widespread, hitting almost all sectors, including construction, manufacturing, financial services, leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation and utilities.