L.A. unemployment takes dip

May's jobless rate in Los Angeles County fell to 4.7 percent from 5.0 percent a month earlier and 4.9 percent a year earlier. The state, however, inched up to 5.2 percent from 5.1 percent in April. May's national unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. It's always risky to draw too many conclusions based on a single month of numbers, but 4.7 percent unemployment in a large urban area like L.A. County would indicate an economy that's still solid. Another decent sign is a separate state survey showing an increase of 10,000 payroll jobs from April to May. The biggest gains were in movies and TV, and leisure and hospitality (summer tourist season is here). Those payroll numbers might be understating the economic picture because lots of work in L.A. never makes it onto the state rolls. Here's the release from the Employment Development Department.