How about that raise, Boss?

The San Diego County unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in in December, down from a revised 5.8 percent in November, according to the state Employment Development Department. Non-farm jobs grew by 600 in the month and by 44,500 during the past year.

Much of the December job growth was in retail, a seasonal phenomenon tied to Christmas sales. Retail jobs grew by 2100 in December from November. Manufacturing jobs rose by 900 in the month — a positive sign.

Inflation-adjusted median household income rose by 0.36 percent from 2012 to 2013, according to Department of Numbers. However, inflation-adjusted median household income in 2013, measured over a three-year period, was down by 4.05 percent. Inflation-adjusted household income in the county hit $69,425 in 2007. In 2013, it was $61,426. A drop in the unemployment rate is positive but incomes are still well below their peak prior to the Great Recession.