Despite a loss of thousands of jobs in California in February, the Bay Area saw a hiring surge, largely due to job gains in the South Bay and Peninsula. Despite this, employers added 3,000 positions in the region, while the state overall lost 19,900. The South Bay added 2,000 jobs, the San Francisco-San Mateo region gained 1,100, and the East Bay added 600. In the North Bay, Marin County and Napa County each added 300 jobs, while Solano County lost 500 and Sonoma County shed 800. The state Employment Development Department reported that the statewide unemployment rate remained at 5.9.