May. 13, 2008 at 11:55am

State’s unemployment dips in April

Washington's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.7 percent in April, down from March's reported rate of 4.9 percent, according to the state Employment Security Department.

The drop in unemployment was accompanied by a decline of 1,800 non-agricultural jobs.  However, the total number of non-agricultural jobs in Washington was 46,300 higher than the same time in 2007 – a 1.6 percent increase.  Nationally, job growth for the past year was 0.3 percent.

"Our economy has slowed, but it's still healthier than many other parts of the country," said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee.

Industries in Washington with the largest job growth in April were government, with 600 new jobs, mostly in colleges, prisons and human services, and professional business services, with 500 new jobs. The largest declines were in retail and transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 500 jobs, and information, also down 500.

An estimated 158,636 people are unemployed and seeking work in Washington.

The full report is available online.

Posted in BE Daily, Law and Legislation, Lewis County, Mason County, Retirement and Investing, South King County, Thurston County, Workforce by Steve Dunkelberger | Email Steve

Comments (0)

Add your comment below