State labor analyst is leaving position

The only state analyst who tracks Spokane’s employment and wage picture has announced he’s leaving his job to take a position in Virginia.

William Dillingham, who moved to Spokane nine months ago, has been the state Employment Security Department’s regional economist for Eastern Washington. His job involves detailing and interpreting employment and income trends in Eastern Washington.

Dillingham’s last day is Friday.

Randy Barcus, chief economist from Avista Corp., said Dillingham’s loss will be considerable.

“William is good with analysis and really liked to do it. We were quite fortunate to have someone with his abilities and educational background,” Barcus said.

Employers and other decision-makers rely on the data that Dillingham and the Employment Security Department produce, Barcus said. He added that he hoped state officials fill the regional job more quickly than they did after the previous vacancy.

After Dillingham’s predecessor retired, state officials left the Spokane regional economist job unfilled for 13 months. During that time, job data for Spokane and Eastern Washington were collected in Vancouver, Wash.

Ivars Graudins, a supervisor with the Employment Security Department, said Wednesday that the agency is under a hiring freeze. He doubted a replacement for Dillingham could be found earlier than July.

Dillingham and his wife have decided to move to Washington, D.C., in order for their 2-year-old daughter to attend the Maryland School for the Deaf, he said. Dillingham has taken a job in Reston, Va., as an analyst with the U.S. Geological Survey.

“We really love the Spokane area. But for us, taking care of our daughter is our top priority,” Dillingham said.