The Silicon Valley unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in January as tech companies shed workers to cut costs.
The daunting figure, released Thursday, is still less than California as a whole, which saw unemployment rise to 10.1 percent.
But it underscores the rapid decline in the area economy since late last year.
According to California’s Employment Development Department, the valley shed 86,900 jobs in the months, with Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley, losing 83,000 jobs in the month and reached an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent.
San Mateo County to the north had unemployment of 7.2 percent while San Francisco’s unemployment was 8 percent.
Los Angeles unemployment was 10.8 percent.
