The unemployment rate across Santa Barbara County dropped 0.3 percent to 8.7 percent for October 2010, according to the California Employment Development Department.

Not only was the 8.7 percent unemployment rate a dip from the previous month, but also down from the 8.8 percent unemployment rate from a year ago.

According to the county’s Workforce Investment Board, the county’s unemployment ranking is second lowest among the state’s 58 counties. Marin County sits at an 8.0 percent unemployment rate, while Imperial County has the highest at 29.3 percent.

While the numbers are improved, there are still roughly 19,500 unemployed workers in Santa Barbara County, out of a total labor force of about 224,000. The city of Santa Barbara had a 6.1 percent unemployment rate while Lompoc sits at 15.3 percent, the highest countywide.

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