SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. and#8212; Californiaand#8217;s brief recovery stalled, while Nevada continued to see its unemployment rate drop in March, according to statistics released Friday.

The unemployment rate in California rose back to 11 percent following two months of decline, according to data from the stateand#8217;s Employment Development Department.

The rate was up just one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month but was the first time since December that Californiaand#8217;s jobless rate hit or exceeded 11 percent.

Across the Stateline, Nevadaand#8217;s unemployment rate fell for the seventh consecutive month, dropping from 12.3 percent in February to 12 percent in March, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

and#8220;Unfortunately, most of the decline was attributed to erosion in the labor force, as opposed to outright improvement,and#8221; said Bill Anderson, chief economist for DETR, in a statement. and#8220;The drop is partly due to discouraged workers who have simply given up looking for work. Nevertheless, the news is not all bad. The labor market is showing some positive signs of recovery.and#8221;

The statewide trends in unemployment were similar to jobs movement at a local level.

South Lake Tahoeand#8217;s unemployment rate was measured at 16.2 percent in March, the highest in the city since June, when it was also 16.2 percent. Last month, the cityand#8217;s unemployment was measured at 15.7 percent.

Douglas Countyand#8217;s jobless rate was 13.5 percent in March, down from the first two monthand#8217;s of the year. Douglas Countyand#8217;s unemployment rate was 13.8 percent in February and 14.8 percent in January.

The unemployment rates for both California and Nevada remain well above the national average of 8.2 percent. Thirty states reported lower unemployment rates in March while 8 reported increases. Rates were unchanged in 12 states.

and#8212; The Associated Press contributed to this story.