Business

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 County's jobless rate not likely to stay at 3.6 percent By Mike Benbow Herald Writer Snohomish County's jobless rate dropped so fast in April that even the local labor economist doubts the numbers. "I don't think it's going to stay down there," said Donna Thompson, who works for the state Employment Security Department. The down there she was referring to was 3.6 percent, the unemployment rate assigned to Snohomish County for April from the state's sample data. That's a 0.6 percent drop from the revised estimate for March of 4.2 percent. Thompson noted that the jobless rate for the county was also 3.6 percent in April 2007. Beginning in January, she said, the county has lost 1,900 jobs, declining to 262,300 from a December high of 264,200. She said April jobs sent a mixed message, with some sectors rising and some declining. The biggest change was in construction, which lost 600 jobs in comparison to March numbers. Other sectors that lost jobs included Leisure & Hospitality and Government, which both dropped 100 workers. Sectors adding jobs included manufacturing, which rose by 200 jobs thanks to continued hiring by the Boeing Co. and other aerospace firms. Professional and business services added 100 people, educational and health services added 200 and personal, and laundry services added 100. Trade, information and financial activities stayed the same. Statewide, the jobless rate dipped two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.7 percent in April, the 19th straight month in which unemployment was below 5 percent. "Our economy has slowed, but it's still healthier than many other parts of the country," said Karen Lee, employment security commissioner. She said an estimated 158,636 people are unemployed and seeking work in Washington. Thompson said she expected the local numbers to be more normal next month. "I don't think anything drastic is going to happen," she said. "It probably is just going to level out."

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