Holiday hiring for temporary retail jobs helped drive down Santa Clarita’s jobless rate to 5.7 percent in November, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

It’s a 0.3-point improvement from last November, when seasonal hiring cut Santa Clarita’s jobless rate to a four-year low of 6 percent.

The employment picture has continued getting brighter. Jobs in Santa Clarita are back to pre-recession levels – and even home values have returned to pre-recession prices, as reported earlier this week.

Across Los Angeles County, November unemployment fell to 9.5 percent from October’s 9.7 percent and 10.4 percent in November 2012. California’s jobless rate was 8.5 percent in November, compared to 8.7 percent in October and 9.9 percent in November 2012. (Santa Clarita’s jobless rate is always lower than the county and state average.)

Seasonal growth in the trade-transportation-utilities sector accounted for 69 percent of the month-over-month job growth in Los Angeles County, with retail trade adding 18,800 workers to payrolls, followed by transportation, warehousing, and utilities (up 2,400) and wholesale trade (up 1,400).

Within the county, local government, which includes public education, grew by 4,700 jobs. The state added 700 positions over the month but the feds cut 500, balancing out the growth.

Construction in L.A. County added 3,800 jobs over the month; professional and business services grew by 3,000; information added 2,600; and private education and health services added 1,800.

The biggest loser, county-wide, was leisure and hospitality, which slashed 2,500 positions. The arts, entertainment and recreation sector cut 2,000 jobs, mostly in performing arts and spectator sports (down 1,200). Accommodation and food services was down 500, manufacturing fell by 1,900, financial activities cut 800 and other services were down 700.  Mining and logging were unchanged.

Other selected communities (November 2013):

Lebec – 4.8 percent

Acton – 6.9 percent

Val Verde – 7.3 percent

Frazier Park – 9 percent

Pine Mountain Club – 11.1 percent

Palmdale – 11.7 percent

Piru – 12.7 percent

Lancaster – 13.3 percent

Lake Los Angeles – 14.1 percent