GOOD JOB: Orange County’s August jobless rate...

GOOD JOB: Orange County’s August jobless rate (above) remained one of the lowest among the state’s large counties (D7), trailing only San Mateo County, which had a 3.2% unemployment rate, and Marin County, at 4.2%. Closer to home, the rates were much higher: 8.5% in L.A. County and 6.1% in San Diego. . . . “It underscores the relative strength of Orange County’s economy compared with the rest of the state, which has been true since the early 1980s,” says Rob Valletta, UC Irvine economist.

Jobless rates

California: 7.3%

U.S.: 6.8%

Orange County: 4.7%

Source: State Employment Development Dept.