Washington’s economy added jobs in March. But its labor pool shrunk and the number of jobless grew as well.
The combined result was an uptick in the state’s unemployment rate, according to the latest monthly report from the Employment Security Department.
The economy grew by 5,300 jobs, with the private sector accounting for 2,900 and the government sector the remainder. It’s a bit more than February, continuing the “slow and steady” growth experienced in recent months, said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, ESD’s chief labor economist.
Overall, job growth is proceeding at a slower pace than the period of historically high job openings coming out of the pandemic, she said. Even with the current tight labor market, people who are looking for work are, for the most part, finding work, she said.
Jobs increased in eight major industry sectors last month with the largest gains in professional and business services, wholesale trade, finance, and educational and health services.
Leisure and hospitality businesses and construction firms recorded losses. So too did specialty trade contractors, which covers businesses such as pouring concrete, plumbing, painting, and electrical work. They shaved 3,000 jobs last month, the ESD report shows.
The number of jobless increased by 3,510 in March, pushing the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 4.8%, a tenth of a point higher than February. The nation’s unemployment rate was 3.8% last month.
Ferry County had the top unemployment rate at 11.9% with the neighboring counties of Stevens (8.1%) and Okanogan (7.3%) not far behind. King and Snohomish counties each recorded the lowest rates at 4.1%.
As of mid-April, Washington paid unemployment benefits to 67,175 people, roughly a third of those who reported seeking but not finding a job, according to ESD data.
And overall, the state’s labor force numbered 4,019,937 in March, a decrease of 7,361 workers from February, according to ESD figures.
Labor force represents the total number of people over the age of 16, both employed and unemployed, who are working or seeking work. Thus, a person who is laid off but still actively looks for a job is considered part of the labor force. A drop in the labor force means people have left work and haven’t been trying to secure employment for more than four weeks.
Nationally, participation in the labor force reached its highest levels in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Vance-Sherman said. Since then it’s declined as Baby Boomers retire.
by Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
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Clearly shows the growth in the size of government when one out of every two jobs is in the government sector. sure hope I am not the only one that sees a problem with this. Before long every burger flipper will have their own personal government supervisor.
Considering that across the country there are shortages of police officers and air traffic control technicians, just to name two categories, it is understandable that job openings in the public sectors are available. One could admit this without also suggesting that there are some pernicious underlying factors.
Having once volunteered to work in the kitchen for the Sons of Norway breakfast fundraisers, I was pleased that the State of Washington required that I studied and passed testing on the proper way to prepare food in a commercial kitchen. Government inspectors even came to see that regulations were followed. Yes, I had a personal government inspector. Not while I flipped burgers, but when I was flipping pancakes.
So government is a necessary evil I would concur. Its limits are supposed to be by the will of the people I would argue that the will of the people is being suppressed by government. We vote and our government challenges the thing we vote on in court 30 dollar tabs is a perfect example of government ignoring the will of the people. Government has now taken the by the people out of the equation it has determined what is best for the people regardless of our desires, maybe a government run society is what you want but good of bad I want my government doing the will of the people.
Figures don’t lie but liars figure. One more datapoint demonstrating that the “big growth” in the high density plan is all made up just to justify changing building codes to benefit developers and the ones getting their pockets lined?
Shucks, Jim, I almost heard you take the leap! “So government is [a] necessary….” Come on, take the intellectual plung and forget about the “evil” in the world. Concentrate on the good. How difficult can it be to say, “Government is necessary”, and leave it there? I would then be more sympathetic to your gripes.
Sorry, Mario, I have no clue why you are complaing about big growth and pockets getting lined by developers when the topic is jobs in Washington State.
Ok so government is necessary, how much government should we have? Should it be 10% of working people 20%, 50% how about 80%? Should government be the country’s largest employer? If government gets to big elections become pointless cause the employees will never vote themselves out of a job. Recently heard there are 2 government employees working on homeless issues for every homeless person then add the people working for the nonprofits. In my opinion the size scope and control is getting out of hand like top down zoning laws or the cap and trade carbon program. We the people are losing our say one new hire at a time.
This employment report just brought to mind another contradiction to the projected growth figures that the WA government and its legislature concocted to force the smaller cities to change their codes and allow developers to build taller buildings (and consequently increase their profits – and their minions).
So, in the end of the day, another datapoint that contradicts those numbers.
Mike and Jim, I would say government is a necessary “thing” that can way too often be “an evil” if done wrong or in a way that highly favors one group of people over another for some reason (usually involving wealth and power). Government is not a necessary “thing” if you are willing to live like the animals do in the wild where the strong survive and prosper and the weak are food. In that case you don’t need government; just a good fight or flight meter in your brain and good health. The eternal questions are, how much government do we really need, and who is responsible for paying for it? And, you can’t pay for anything if you don’t first have a work ethic and second have a job.
Yes Clinton I often wish for a more animalistic. Society, where your worth is based on your ability to provide. Survival of the fittest. Only because my government has gone off its rocker. I know that isn’t the answer but one can dream. What we have now is a partisan government that favors the will of one group for decades in this state but less nationally. My opinion is compromise between factions results in the best governance. Something lacking in our state and nationally for that matter. I got my priorities they focus on what I deem is best for me which runs contrary to governance in this state currently. Shame on me.