Unemployment numbers continue their unprecedented plunge, with December’s jobless rate at 5.1% for Shasta County. That’s a considerable improvement over just a year previous when it was 6.5%. The rate was up a.5% point from November’s rate of 4.6% The numbers are even more impressive in light of the fact that the labor force increased from 74,400 to 75,700. Most of the month-over job losses were seen in farming, as well as the mining, logging and construction sector. The state wide unemployment rate was 4.2% last month. It was 3.9% nationwide.