EVERETT — Snohomish County’s unemployment rate dropped in October, not because more people found work, but because the labor force dwindled.
Uemployment, at 9 percent in September, fell to 8.7 percent last month, the Employment Security Department reported Tuesday.
There were an estimated 349,300 people working in September, with only 347,160 estimated to be working last month. But there were also fewer people estimated to be without a job last month, hence the decreased jobless rate. The labor force was estimated at 380,410 last month and 383,990 in September.
The estimates are based only on people who are looking for work. They don’t include people who have become discouraged and have stopped looking or people who are under-employed.
As usual, the aerospace sector continued to add jobs in October, employing an additional 200 people in the county last month. During the past year, the county has added 6,400 additional workers in the sector as the Boeing Co. worked to deliver its first 787s and 747-8s and also tried to boost production on other jet lines.
According to employment security, there were 42,200 people working in aerospace in the county last month.
Also adding jobs were retail trade, financial activities and government (mostly schools).
Losing the most jobs was leisure and hospitality, which fell by 500 workers (300 in arts and entertainment and 200 in restaurants and bars). Also losing workers were the information, warehousing and construction sectors.
Hiring in the goods-producing fields was flat. The workforce fell in the service sector.
Island County also saw its jobless rate fall, from 8.6 percent in September to 8.4 percent last month.
Statewide, unemployment was at 8.3 percent in October.
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