California unemployment at 11.5 percent

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- The unemployment rate in California hit its highest level in more than 30 years, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday.

In May, as the national unemployment rate reached 9.4 percent, California's unemployment rate hit 11.5 percent, 4.7 percentage points above the 6.8 percent rate of May 2008, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The jobless rate in California was the fifth highest in the nation in May. Michigan's rate, 14.1 percent, was the highest, followed by Oregon at 12.4 percent and Rhode Island and South Carolina with 12.1 percent each.