California led the nation in job losses in July, while a third of the nation showed decreases in unemployment for the month. California lost 35,800 jobs, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday, to boost its unemployment rate to 11.9 percent, a mark unequalled since modern labor record-keeping began.

The new numbers bring California's total job losses to 760,200 over the last year. If there is good news, it is that the rate of job losses slowed for a second straight month. July's job losses were barely half those in May.

More...