After several months of minor increases or stagnation, Nevada County’s jobless rate dropped half-a-point in April from March. At three-point-seven percent, that’s the lowest rate of the year so far, although it was up nearly half-a-point from a year ago. As for this year, the outlook is being described as “fantastic” by Maryanne Connelley, a business services representative with the local office of the Alliance for Workforce Development. She says that was reflected in their recent Job Fair, which attracted around 200 applicants…

click to listen to Maryanne Connelley

Connelley says there were lots of great candidates for employers…

click to listen to Maryanne Connelley

The local sector with the biggest overall one-month increase in jobs in April was Mining, Logging, and Construction, at 90. But there was a substantial drop for Leisure and Hospitality, at 400. However, that’s expected to pick up with the summer tourist season. The county has the 17th lowest unemployment rate among the state’s 58 counties.