1 in 10 Californians Unemployed

The jobless rate in California—a state that last long been an economic powerhouse, from Hollywood to Silicon Valley to Napa Valley—climbed to 10.5 percent last month. This is the state's highest unemployment rate since 1983, and marks its11th consecutive month of job contraction. Construction was hit the hardest, shedding almost 40,000 jobs in February alone. The television and movie business, lumped into "information" jobs, was the sole industry that did not report layoffs. Government jobs are next to the chopping block, with budget cuts attempting to counter the state's gargantuan deficit taking effect between now and June. LA County's jobless rate is approaching 11%, higher than the state average.