Marin’s Jobless Rate Dips Below 6 Percent for First Time Since Dec. 2008

The unemployment rate in Marin County fell to its lowest point since December 2008, according to a report released today by state employment officials.

Marin dropped its state-low rate from 6.3 percent to 5.8 percent over the past month, according to the state's Employment Development Department. That is the lowest rate for Marin since it recorded a 5.6 percent jobless rate in December 2008.

The unemployment rate also fell sharply across California in September, dropping to 10.2 percent in September, compared to 10.6 percent in August. That rate is also down from 11.7 percent in September 2011. 

San Francisco's rate also dropped sharply from 7.4 percent in August to 6.9 percent in September while Solano County, which typically has the highest unemployment numbers in the region, saw its rate fall to 9.3 percent compared to 10 percent in August.

The state's unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 households throughout California.

--Bay City News Service contributed to this report.