EVERETT — Snohomish County’s jobless rate rose slightly in February, a possible sign that the local economy is slowing a bit.
“We’re in flux now, but we’re hanging on,” said Donna Thompson, a labor economist for the state Employment Security Agency.
Thompson said that February saw many job losses and many job gains. Aerospace gained, but only 100 new jobs. Health services added 700 and construction added 400. Local education added 200 jobs.
Sectors losing jobs included professional services, which lost 1,000; retail trade, which dropped 200; financial activities, which lost 100; and employment services, which lost 500.
Thompson said the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent last month. That’s up 0.2 percent from January, but down 0.3 percent from a year ago.
“That’s really a little bounce,” Thompson said of the month-to-month change. “We’re still growing, but it’s slowed down … especially in housing.”
Statewide, unemployment was flat at 4.5 percent, matching January’s near-record low.
“Job growth in Washington continues to outpace the national average, just as it has for the past year,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement. “This growth is reflected in our state’s unemployment rate, which is not only low, but near the record low.”
Industries in Washington with the largest job growth last month were retail trade, which added 1,000 new jobs, leisure and hospitality, which added 900, and professional and business services, with 600 new jobs.
There were declines in wholesale trade and other services, each down 300, and natural resources and mining, down 100.
Karen Lee, employment security commissioner, said the state is still creating jobs.
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