Nevada County’s unemployment rate has increased for a second straight month. It was 5-point-2 percent in July, up another three-tenths of a point from June. 520 jobs were lost in the past month, with the biggest losses in the government sector, according to Employment Development Department spokesman Luis Allejo….

click to listen to Luis Allejo

The biggest gain, by far, was in Leisure and Hospitality, at 220 jobs….

click to listen to Luis Allejo

But the rate is a half point LOWER than a year ago. And Nevada County still has the 13th-lowest rate among California’s 58 counties, the same as a month ago. Meanwhile, California’s rate is up ONE-tenth of a point from a month ago, at 5-point-5 percent. Employers added 36-thousand-400 payroll jobs, a sign that the state’s economy is still growing, despite indications of a slowdown nationally.