California's unemployment woes continue to take a toll on job seekers.
The state's jobless rate has been in double digits for almost four years and is currently hovering around 10.7 percent as of July.
But, if you are in the market for a job, there are some reasons to be hopeful.
In the last year, the state has grown jobs twice as fast as the national average, 2.6 percent versus only 1.6 percent.
And, while job seekers say they're still having a hard time finding new work, at the very least, many job seekers say there seems to be more to choose from.
Many people are trying to find a job in the country's third highest unemployment state.
"It's been a little bit frustrating, a little frustrating," said one job seeker.
"The three months have been rough. Thankful, I had a little bit in the bank," said another.
In Kern County, finding a job continues to be especially hard. The area is battling a 13.6 percent unemployment rate. But, despite that number, some job seekers say they're seeing more reasons to be hopeful.
"I've seen more jobs pop up. I think the economy, at least in my opinion, is getting a little bit better."
"The Bakersfield Californian, looking through the classifieds there, Craigslist, word of mouth, even 'hiring' signs I'm seeing on buildings, I'm walking into."
Although unemployment remains high, it could be a sign that things are getting better.
Last month, the state added 25,000 non-farm jobs, the largest month over month increase in the country.
For the Kern County area, career officials say when compared to last year, they're seeing more employers finally starting to take on new workers.
"We see a lot of employers who are hiring right now. We're seeing a lot of positions that are getting out there. We're just trying to make the match with the people who have the skills or can be trained in those fields," said Dannette Scarry, Career Services Center in Bakersfield.
But, while some companies are hiring back their previous workforce, career officials say many small businesses who hire the majority of the area's workers are holding off on hiring for a specific reason - the November election.
"After an election, things can dramatically change or they could stay status quo. You don't know until after that happens," said Scarry.
Although there's uncertainty, some job seekers say even if you've been at it for awhile, you just have to keep going and hope for the best.
Career officials also say more training opportunities and job fairs are popping up with a variety of employers looking for new people.
And, two separate job fairs are scheduled for September 10th and 12th at the Bakersfield Career Services Center.
