Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Unemployment ticks down
Snohomish County’s jobless rate dips as 600 workers are added.
EVERETT — Snohomish County’s unemployment rate dropped back into single digits in November, the state Employment Security Department reported today.
Last month the jobless rate fell to 9.8 percent, a drop from 10.1 percent in October. The state rate also fell in November, from 9.3 percent to 9.2 percent.
“This is positive news,” said Employment Security Department Commissioner Karen Lee. “Hopefully, this is another sign that we’re turning the corner and on our way out of this recession.”
In Snohomish County, which has lost 13,700 jobs since a year ago, retailers added 600 employees in November to prepare for the holiday shopping season.
Other areas that added jobs included food and beverage stores and government.
Cutting back in the county last month included those in the aerospace sector, which lost 100 jobs. Other areas with cutbacks included professional and business services, leisure and entertainment and construction.
The county’s jobless level has swung back and forth between 10 percent and 9 percent for much of the year.
After accounting for seasonal fluctuations, officials said Washington shed about 4,800 nonfarm jobs last month — the same number of jobs lost in October. The state has lost about 125,600 jobs since November 2008.
At the same time, fewer people are being counted as out of work. That figure can drop as unemployed people move out of the state, retire or stop looking for work.
Goods-producing industries continued to suffer the bulk of job losses last month. Those employers account for about 15 percent of the state’s total employment, but their job losses represented about two-thirds of the monthly decline, the state said.
The biggest losses were seen in construction, which lost about 4,300 jobs in November. The leisure and hospitality sector was down about 2,000 jobs, and retail was lower by about 900 jobs.
Job gains were led by the professional and business services sector, which added about 2,800 jobs in November. That was seen as particularly positive because the sector includes temporary staffing, which is closely watched for early signs of life in the job market.
“That’s where the first, initial hiring may occur,” state labor economist Dave Wallace said. “A permanent hiring decision is such a costly decision for employers that it tends to come later on.”
The national unemployment rate for November was 10 percent.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Last month the jobless rate fell to 9.8 percent, a drop from 10.1 percent in October. The state rate also fell in November, from 9.3 percent to 9.2 percent.
“This is positive news,” said Employment Security Department Commissioner Karen Lee. “Hopefully, this is another sign that we’re turning the corner and on our way out of this recession.”
In Snohomish County, which has lost 13,700 jobs since a year ago, retailers added 600 employees in November to prepare for the holiday shopping season.
Other areas that added jobs included food and beverage stores and government.
Cutting back in the county last month included those in the aerospace sector, which lost 100 jobs. Other areas with cutbacks included professional and business services, leisure and entertainment and construction.
The county’s jobless level has swung back and forth between 10 percent and 9 percent for much of the year.
After accounting for seasonal fluctuations, officials said Washington shed about 4,800 nonfarm jobs last month — the same number of jobs lost in October. The state has lost about 125,600 jobs since November 2008.
At the same time, fewer people are being counted as out of work. That figure can drop as unemployed people move out of the state, retire or stop looking for work.
Goods-producing industries continued to suffer the bulk of job losses last month. Those employers account for about 15 percent of the state’s total employment, but their job losses represented about two-thirds of the monthly decline, the state said.
The biggest losses were seen in construction, which lost about 4,300 jobs in November. The leisure and hospitality sector was down about 2,000 jobs, and retail was lower by about 900 jobs.
Job gains were led by the professional and business services sector, which added about 2,800 jobs in November. That was seen as particularly positive because the sector includes temporary staffing, which is closely watched for early signs of life in the job market.
“That’s where the first, initial hiring may occur,” state labor economist Dave Wallace said. “A permanent hiring decision is such a costly decision for employers that it tends to come later on.”
The national unemployment rate for November was 10 percent.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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