OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington’s economy saw mixed news in the state’s latest jobs report.
The Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) announced on Wednesday, Sept. 16, that the state lost roughly 900 seasonally-adjusted jobs in August.
It followed a month in which Washington gained its most jobs in over a year and a half, and ended a streak of three straight months of job growth.
Still, the state’s unemployment rate fell for the second straight month to 4.9%, down slightly from 5% in July.
“Although job counts and the unemployment rate often move in tandem, they do tell different stories,” Anneliesse Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist with ESD, said in a news release. “The estimated tally of jobs decreased in August, however, the number of unemployed job seekers also decreased, resulting in a lower unemployment rate.”
The private sector lost 9,000 jobs in August, while the public sector gained roughly 8,100.
Manufacturing saw the most private sector gains of any single industry, while professional and business services dropped the most.
Whatcom County’s August jobs report is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
