Record low unemployment continues in Washington

unemployment

Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate clocked in at 4.5 percent for the third consecutive month in July, holding at the record-low level.

The Employment Security Department says Washington employers added 16-hundred nonfarm jobs in July, and newly released data shows early-year hiring was much stronger than originally thought.  The state’s labor force rose to 3.7 million in July, an increase of 13,000 people from the previous month.

July’s greatest job growth occurred in government, followed by education and health services; retail trade; wholesale trade; information; and financial services.

Leisure and hospitality, and other services faced the biggest reduction in July.  Other sectors reporting losses include construction; manufacturing; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and professional and business services.  Mining and logging was unchanged.

Year-over-year growth remains strong, as Washington has added an estimated 85,200 new jobs from July 2016 through July 2017.  (ESD)