Workplace
Washington’s Unemployment Rate Finally Headed Down
By Seattle Business Magazine May 18, 2010
In a sign that the economic recovery is gathering steam, Washingtons unemployment rate fell in April for the first time in more than three years as the total number of jobs increased by 5,800, the Employment Security Department announced today.
The unemployment rate dropped to 9.2 percent in April, down from 9.5 percent in April. The last time the unemployment rate declined was in March 2007, when it dropped to 4.4 percent, a record low for the state.
This is further evidence that our economy is starting to turn around and is headed in the right direction, said Gov. Chris Gregoire.
Although Washington has added 14,800 jobs in the first four months of 2010, earlier job gains did not reduce the unemployment rate because more people started to look for work, thereby expandingt the number of unemployment. A person is only defined as unemployed if he or she is actively looking for work.
Industries that added jobs in April were leisure and hospitality, up 1,800; government, up 1,600 (mostly temporary census jobs); construction, up 1,400; retail trade, up 1,300; manufacturing, up 1,200; information, up 500; education and health services, up 300; and wholesale trade, up 100.
Jobs were lost in financial activities, down 1,400; transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 500; other services, down 300; and professional and business services, down 200.
Im pleased to see growth in the construction and manufacturing sectors, which suffered the biggest losses in the recession, said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee. We need those good-paying jobs to come back.
Year over year, Washington had 48,400 fewer jobs last month than in April 2009, a 1.7 percent decrease. Nationally, employment declined by 1.7 percent over the past year.
An estimated 306,692 people (not seasonally adjusted) in Washington were unemployed and looking for work and more than 277,000 people received unemployment benefits from Washington in April.
Unemployed workers can inquire about assessment and training opportunities that are available through their local WorkSource career centers.