COUNTY JOBLESS RATE AT 4-YEAR LOW MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY HIRING RISES.

Byline: Andrew Blazier Staff Writer

Los Angeles County's unemployment rate sank to a more than four-year low in July, as thousands of jobless workers gave up the hunt for work.

The county's jobless figure fell to 5.1 percent last month, a half-percent decline from June, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. The seasonally adjusted figure was down from a rate of 6.5 percent a year ago.

When adjusted for seasonal changes, the monthly employment survey counted just 251,000 unemployed county residents, compared with 274,000 in June and 312,000 in July, 2004. That helped push the jobless rate to its lowest level since a 5.0 percent reading in March 2001 - just before the last national recession - according to EDD records.

In the last year, L.A. County added 40,700 jobs, led by the information sector's 16,600 new positions. Nearly all of the expansion came from motion pictures and sound recording.

In other industries, construction added 8,300 jobs, leisure and hospitality 7,700, professional and business services 7,500 and educational and health services 7,400 jobs.

The only industry declines came in government, which lost 8,600 positions, and manufacturing, down 6,300 jobs.

The report showed the county's nonfarm employment continues to gain momentum, said Jack Kyser, senior vice president and chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

``It's pretty solid growth across a whole spectrum of industries,'' Kyser said.

Statewide, unemployment also fell to 5.1 percent in July, from 5.4 percent in June and 6.2 percent a year ago, the EDD reported. Unlike the regional economy, however, California added 37,000 jobs during the month, while the total number of jobless residents fell to 914,000 from 966,000 in June.

The total number of California unemployed declined by 272,000 in the last year, the EDD said.