Increase in summertime jobs leads to drop in jobless rates

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, August 14, 2001

By Mike Benbow

Herald Writer

The unemployment rate for Snohomish County and the state fell as expected in July because of the usual increase in summertime jobs.

Statewide, unemployment fell three-tenths of a percentage point from 5.9 percent in June to 5.6 percent last month. In the county, the drop was less significant — only one-tenth of a percentage point — to 4.7 percent.

"Washington’s unemployment rate generally dips during July, and this year was no exception," said Sylvia Mundy, employment commissioner.

Donna Thompson, the agency’s labor economist for Snohomish County, said the number of jobless people remained at about 16,600 for both June and July, but the number of jobs rose.

She said the county added 800 manufacturing jobs last month, 500 in food-related positions and 300 at the Boeing Co. and related aircraft firms. There were also 100 new construction jobs last month, Thompson noted.

Service jobs and government positions dropped in the county.

Thompson said there have been orders for 13 Everett-assembled 767s recently, and that Home Depot has opened its new store on the Tulalip Reservation. On the bad news side of the ledger, the Lynnwood Homelife Furniture store shut down and Motorola plans to cut 90 jobs at its Bothell location, she added.

In Snohomish County, the numbers mean that of a potential labor force of 348,800, 332,200 people had jobs last month.

In Island County, where unemployment was 4.2 percent in July, the labor force of 29,800 saw 28,500 people working and 1,300 unemployed.

In Garfield County, unemployed was the state’s lowest at 1.6 percent. Cowlitz and Klickitat counties had the state’s highest rate, 10.7 percent.