[an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] HOME PRESS ROOM NBC11.COM 2005 REPORT SUGGESTS RISING JOBS, FALLING WAGES IN CALIF. 300,000 Jobs Created In State In Last Year NBC11.COM, September 5, 2005 California's unemployment rate may be the lowest it has been in more than four years, but researchers at the University of California, Berkeley report that's not enough to make workers celebrate on this Labor Day. According to the university's Center for Labor Research and Education, the percentage of working-age adults employed in California is less than it was in previous years, despite an increase in jobs. Researchers report 300,000 jobs were created in California in the last year. Nationwide, the number of jobs has increased by 2 million over the same time period. Nonetheless, a new analysis conducted by university researchers reports the number of adults of working age in California and the United States is down by 2 percent since the start of 2001. Researchers claim the trend allows employers to keep wages the same or let them drop when inflation is taken into consideration. "The soft labor market gives employers little incentive to raise wages to attract and retain workers," Arindrajit Dube, a UC Berkeley research economist, said in a statement. According to California's Employment Development Department, employers and workers should rejoice in the state's unemployment record, which a new report suggests is the lowest it has been in four years. The department said there are currently 16.9 million workers employed in California and 914,000 people out of work. "Labor Day is a special holiday to honor the great contributions of the working men and women of America, and an excellent time to look at California's labor force--to see where we've been, where we are and where we're going," said Patrick Henning, director of the Employment Development Department. [an error occurred while processing this directive]