OLYMPIA, Wash. – Unemployment in Washington dipped to 6.5 percent in January, the lowest rate in more than two years when adjusted for seasonal factors, the Employment Security Department reported Thursday.
The rate was below that of the 7.7 percent reported in neighboring Oregon, but still above the national rate of 5.7 percent. Snohomish County’s rate was 7.7.
The big downward jump from December’s revised rate of 7.3 percent, however, is probably exaggerated by a year-end revision of last year’s numbers, said Gary Kamimura, a policy analyst for the department.
“We still feel that there is a downward trend in the unemployment rate,” Kamimura said, pointing to positive trends in the business cycle and the national rate. “We don’t think it’s quite as robust as what the numbers would indicate.”
Without the seasonal adjustment, employment actually dropped by 57,000 jobs in Washington during January, a common occurrence during the slowest time of the year for many industries.
However, many sectors were stronger than expected. Only 3,000 manufacturing jobs were lost, compared to last year’s drop of 7,100, an improvement driven by fewer layoffs in the aerospace industry, the department said. Computer and electronic production added about 100 jobs when layoffs were expected, indicating a possible turnaround in that industry.
Some areas did worse than expected, however. Financial businesses dropped 1,200 jobs, compared to last year’s increase of 800 during January, a change which may be related to the ebbing boom of home mortgage refinancing.
The department figures 225,600 Washingtonians were unemployed in January.
Nine counties reported double-digit unemployment, led by 17.4 percent in Klickitat County.
Jobless rates in metropolitan areas around the state:
Bellingham, 5.7 percent; Bremerton, 5.4; Olympia, 5.2; Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, 6.2; (King County, 5.8; Snohomish County, 7.3; Island County, 6.3); Spokane, 7; Tacoma, 7.1; Tri-Cities, 9.2; (Benton County, 8; Franklin County, 12.7); and Yakima, 13.1.
Also these counties: Adams, 14.1; Asotin, 5.2; Chelan, 9.8; Douglas, 9.4; Clallam, 7.1; Clark, 8.8; Columbia, 11.9; Cowlitz, 9.6; Ferry, 16.3; Garfield, 4.1; Grant, 12.3; Grays Harbor, 9.3; Jefferson, 5.5; Kittitas, 8.5; Klickitat, 17.4; Lewis, 8.9; Lincoln, 7.3; Mason, 8.1; Okanogan, 11.8; Pacific, 8.4; Pend Oreille, 10; San Juan, 5.9; Skagit, 7.6; Skamania, 13.3; Stevens, 9.7; Wahkiakum, 7.3; Walla Walla, 8; Whitman, 2.7.
On the Net:
Employment Security Department: http://www.wa.gov/esd/news
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