State’s jobless rate inches up, despite hiring at Boeing

The state’s unemployment rate increased slightly in March to 9.2 percent, despite the addition of 1,100 jobs.

A lot of those new jobs came from the Boeing Co. which increased its Washington workforce by 741 people in March, according to the company’s website.

Since the end of last year

, Boeing has added 1,337 workers in the state as it ramps up jet production at its Renton and Everett locations. As of March 31, Boeing employed 74,954 people in Washington.

“We’re picking up a little steam,” Employment Security Commissioner Paul Trause said in a statement. “The consistent job growth we’re starting to see now is really encouraging.”

Unemployment was 9.1 percent in February.

Industries that posted gains in March were professional and business services, up 2,700; wholesale trade, up 1,900; manufacturing (including the Boeing jobs), up 1,600; financial activities, up 1,300; mining and logging, up 200; and leisure and hospitality, up 200.

Jobs were lost in construction, down 2,400; education and health services, down 1,800; government, down 1,300; retail trade, down 700; and transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 700.

Since March 2010, Washington has added an estimated 33,100 jobs, the state reported.

An estimated 340,325 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work, and 228,911 people received unemployment benefits from Washington in March.