WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. -- The unemployment rate in Whatcom County rose nearly a full percentage point last month.
The employment security department reports the local rate was 7.9 percent in May, up from April's revised rate of 7.1 percent.
Regional Economist Dr. Reinhold Groepler says the sudden increase in local jobless claims could be a sign of a slight slowdown in job growth, but it's no cause for alarm...
He says the increase is mostly a sign of continued volatility in the local job market.
May's jobless number rivaled our rate of 8.1 percent a year ago, but is still below the non-seasonally adjusted statewide rate of 8.4 percent last month.
