San Bernardino County's unemployment rate (not adjusted for seasonality) declined slightly to 13.6% in December. (November's rate was revised upwards from 13.8% to 14.3%.) The labor force declined by 7,400 -- extremely unexpected since people should be out there looking for seasonal jobs. From the 3/'09 peak of 888,500, the County's reported labor force has fallen by 20,500, or 2.3%. The number of employed residents declined by 200 in December, which is extremely bad compared to the usual trend. Because of the large reduction in labor force, the unemployment rate declined as a result. Are people giving up or moving out? It's likely a combination of both.
Data from Cal EDD: http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/indhist/sanbrhws.xls
