UCLA Job Fair (Creative Commons)

California's unemployment rate dropped in September, but it's not cause for celebration quite yet.

The jobless rate fell from 10.6 percent in August to 10.2 percent in September but only 8,500 net jobs were created, reported The L.A. Times.

These numbers are "really a reflection of the national unemployment number" with some softening of job-creation," said Dennis Meyers, principal economist for the California Department of Finance, to the Times:

• The California results tracked national Department of Labor figures, released Oct. 5, that showed the national unemployment rate falling by three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.8% -- its lowest level in 3 1/2  years -- but only 114,000 net new jobs being created nationally.
• Part of the discrepancy is likely due to long-term unemployed people no longer seeking new jobs; people being forced to work part-time when they seek full-time jobs; and others identifying themselves as "self-employed," though they have little income, experts said.

SEE ALSO: The People Behind September's Unemployment Rate

Public-sector hiring was down by 6,400 in September. Private-sector hiring was up 14,900 workers. So far, the hiring of seasonal workers for the holiday season has not shown in any of the statistics, according to Meyers.

California had the third-highest unemployment rate in the nation in September, behind Nevada at 11.8 percent and Rhode Island at 10.5 percent.

Fine more Neon Tommy coverage on unemployment here.

Reach Executive Paige Brettingen here.