Nevada County’s employment situation continues to progress toward pre-pandemic levels. The jobless rate dropped another three-tenths of a point, from July to August, to five-and-a-half percent. That’s also three points better than a year ago. The Government sector led the way, thanks to schools back in session, with a gain of 920 jobs. And Luis Alejo, with the State Employment Development Department, says Leisure and Hospitality showed the second-largest increase of 450 jobs. Alejo says Leisure and Hospitality has recovered 62-percent of the job loss that occurred at the beginning of the pandemic, in the spring of 2020. Meanwhile, Retail Trade had 170 fewer jobs, compared to the previous month. But Alejo says that’s still 290 more than August of last year. Nevada County has the ninth-lowest unemployment rate among the state’s 58 counties. And, overall, the county has recovered 77-percent of the six-thousand-870 jobs that were lost when pandemic shutdowns were first imposed in March of last year.