OLYMPIA — Washington state’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.5 percent last month, the lowest it’s been in nearly seven years, officials said Wednesday.
The latest report from the state’s Employment Security Department shows that the jobless rate dropped from March’s 5.9 percent and that the state gained 8,200 new jobs from March to April.
Washington state’s April jobless rate is the lowest since July 2008, when it was at 5.4 percent, state labor economist Paul Turek said.
“I think what we’re seeing is continuing momentum that’s been building in the labor market,” Turek said. “I think the longer we move away from the recession, the more confident businesses become in making investments and adding to the stock of the employed as they’re seeing less of a probability of a downturn re-occuring.”
Since last year, Washington state has seen growth in major industries, adding an estimated 110,700 jobs since April 2014, with 98,300 of those jobs being added to the private sector and 12,400 in the public sector.
The jobless rate in the Seattle-Everett-Bellevue region of Western Washington was 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent in March. The national unemployment rate for April was 5.4 percent.
The leisure and hospitality sector saw the largest gains from March to April, with an increase of 2,500 jobs, followed by wholesale trade, which gained 2,300 jobs, and then education and health services, with 1,500 jobs. Other industries that saw increases include financial activities, manufacturing and retail trade. Three industries saw decreases: construction lost 400 jobs in April, and professional and business services lost 200, as did and transportation, warehousing and utilities.
Two different surveys are used to calculate unemployment figures and job losses and gains. The unemployment rate represents the percentage of the labor force that is unemployed and actively looking for work. People who have stopped looking for work aren’t counted. The job gains and loss estimates are based on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of businesses.
As of April, 196,600 people in Washington state were unemployed and looking for work.
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