Sonora, CA—The year 2025 closed with an improved unemployment rate in December, with California losing a total of 1,700 jobs, and the Mother Lode followed that trend. The state’s rate ended the year with a dip in unemployment from 5.6% in November to 5.5% last month. The Employment Development Department (EDD) released figures showing a 0.1 percentage point decrease over the month, matching the national change. However, EDD noted, “The state’s unemployment rate has held steady year-over-year while the nation’s rate increased by 0.3 percentage points. In December 2024, the national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.