Recent state employment data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a grim picture of unemployment in the state of California, with teens being hit especially hard. The state unemployment rate in October was 12.5 percent. The teen unemployment rate was 38.5 percent — nearly four times the national rate. According to a news release from the Employment Policies Institute, California has the fifth highest teen unemployment rate in the nation, and it has increased more than 40 percent since October 2008. Information: www.epionline.org
