Washington’s jobless rate jumps to 4.9 percent

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s unemployment rate has jumped fourth-tenths of a percentage point, to 4.9 percent, and payrolls have shrunk by 3,200 jobs.

Still, state Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee says March was the 18th month in a row with unemployment less than 5 percent. That’s the typical definition of full employment.

Lee says Washington added 43,400 jobs over the past year, at pace faster than the national job-growth percentage. Last month, retailers and the information services sector added workers, while construction, the hospitality sector, and transportation and warehousing all laid off workers.