The unemployment rate for Snohomish County and the state as a whole dropped dramatically in October, the state Department of Employment Security reported today.
Snohomish County’s jobless rate, which was at a 19-year high of 8.5 percent in September, dropped to 7.7 percent last month. Statewide, the rate fell from 7.6 percent to 7 percent in September.
Island County posted a similar drop, moving from 6.9 percent to 6.3 percent last month.
“The new state unemployment data reflects the good news at the national level,” said Employment commissioner Sylvia Mundy. “Although we are still a long way from a full-scale labor market recovery, there has been a significant improvement over the month.”
The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined by one-tenth of a percentage point to 6.0 percent.
Temporary help firms were also up over the month, adding 900 jobs statewide, an early signal that firms may not be able to meet current demand without increasing their workforce.
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