Trailing California in over-the-month job losses were: Texas, which saw 39,500 jobs vanish; Michigan, which lost 38,400 jobs; and Ohio, where payrolls fell 25,200.
California's unemployment rate dipped to 11% last month, fifth-highest in the country. Michigan's jobless rate was the highest at 12.9%, followed by Oregon at 12%, South Carolina at 11.5% and Rhode Island at 11.1%.
Meanwhile, the number of U.S. workers involved in mass layoffs fell during April, according to a separate report released Friday by the Labor Department. It was the first drop since November.
The number of workers involved in the mass layoff actions during April totaled 271,226, down from March's 299,388. These people are identified as initial filers for unemployment insurance. Mass layoffs events totaled 2,712 on a seasonally adjusted basis, down by 221 from 2,933 in March. Mass layoff events involve 50 or more people losing jobs at a single employer.
As the recession eats into sales and profits, companies have laid off workers and turned to other cost-cutting measures, such as holding down hours and freezing or trimming pay.
Since the recession began in December 2007, the U.S. has lost a net total of 5.7 million jobs. The nationwide unemployment rate now stands at 8.9 percent, a quarter-century high.