Another job report has been released for Nevada County. And the state’s Employment Development Department says our jobless rate continued a downward trend in March. It fell another half-a-point, to three-point-three percent. That’s also half the rate of a year ago, when COVID vaccinations were just becoming available and capacity limits at businesses were still in place. But Phelan Burns, with the Alliance for Workforce Development office in Grass Valley, says the worker shortage continues…

click to listen to Phelan Burns

Burns says pandemic restrictions still being implemented in some sectors is one notable barrier…

click to listen to Phelan Burns

But civilian unemployment in Nevada County dropped by nearly 15-percent, from February to March. And it’s down 49-percent from a year ago. The county has the 11th lowest jobless rate among the state’s 58 counties. Statewide, California has now regained nearly 90-percent of the nonfarm jobs lost since the pandemic was declared just over two years ago.