January 19, 2011 in Business, Region

Washington jobless rate creeps up in December

 

Washington added an estimated 2,100 jobs in December, with the manufacturing and retail sectors leading hiring. Still, the estimated unemployment rate increased slightly from 9.2 percent to 9.3 percent, the state reported this morning.

Job numbers and the unemployment rate are derived from separate surveys. Due to margins of error, the surveys sometimes generate conflicting results.

In Spokane County, the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in December. That’s up from a rate of 8.6 percent in November, and down slightly from 9.3 percent a year ago. Unemployed workers in the county totaled 21,990 last month, up from 21,030 a month earlier, the state said.

Statewide, industries that added jobs last month included manufacturing, up 1,400; retail trade, up 1,300; professional and business services, up 800; education and health services, up 400; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 300; wholesale trade, up 200; and leisure and hospitality, up 200.

Jobs were lost in financial activities, down 900; construction, down 900; mining and logging, down 200; other services, down 200; government, down 200; and information, down 100.

An estimated 324,270 people (not seasonally adjusted) in Washington were unemployed and looking for work, and 245,225 people received unemployment benefits from the state in December.

For all of 2010, Washington added 11,800 private-sector jobs. Factoring in a substantial loss of government jobs, there was an estimated net gain of 8,000 jobs during the past 12 months.

10 comments on this story so far. Add yours!
  • Orange on January 19 at 11:10 a.m.

    Spokane County will see worse numbers in the very near future (within 2-3 months). Watch the bankruptcy petitions in the news. Hard times ahead little neighbors. And this “strange package” issue this weekend and today doesn’t help our efforts to attract new businesses to Spokane County.

    Clean it up Spokane!

  • PhiltheBibliophil on January 19 at 11:34 a.m.

    This is such a pant load! The real unemployment rate in Spocompton is closer to 20%. 2-300 people applying for one job at a McDonalds or Burger King. Take into account all the under-employed, part-time, people who have exhausted their benefits, construction workers doing half the work they did for half the price, retail bling store hanging on by their fingernails, etc. and its higher than that!

  • Dazzeetrader11 on January 19 at 12:23 p.m.

    Socialists out of money? Other peoples’ money. This always happens. It’ll get worse too. Tax base dieing off. Verner raises taxes on water, sewer garbage..and it’ll get worse.
    Leaders who spend and spend then raise taxes causing unemployment are not fit to lead.
    I do hope Gregoire, Lisa Brown and Verner go the way of Chris Marr.

    What does a government do when it’s spent the money and none is left? I don’t know the answer but I wouldn’t re-elect them. This isn’t Bush’s fault. Banks holding our money so we can’t build our way out of this. Obama romancing Hu.so China can kill the US in trade imbalances…..losing more job and lowering the tax base. And the libs STILL want an unaffordable Healthcare plan….for everyone! How?

  • Scoutster on January 19 at 12:26 p.m.

    Mr. Boehner…
    where are the jobs!?

  • hawken on January 19 at 3:19 p.m.

    Scoutster

    Unemployment 7.6% When Obama Took Office. Recently as high as 9.8% (not counting those whom have given up looking for jobs or the underemployed).

    Did you happen to notice that once the House was taken over by the Republicans that unemployment took a dip? Hope reigns eternal as it should. However, the financial sink hole we are currently in will probably extinguish that hope as well when the full reality of our current situation is better understood by more.

    Our only lasting hope is to implement conservatives values of limited government, limited government spending and reasonable taxation….

    The Democrats have have had total power in the House, Senate and Presidency for the last two years, until January 2011. You might recall the “shellacking” the Democrats took in November past.

    The new Republican House has barely moved into their offices and already we see positive changes… Obama care was just repealed by the House!

    Tell me were better off under Democrats on the national level, not to mention our big government, big tax and spend, Democrat Governor who has been in office for what,,,, six years now? Seems like an eternity to me.

  • drsqawken on January 19 at 4:24 p.m.

    Hawken is right, whatever he says. It seems like a eternity to me too since I read the words of my HERO, my buddie, Hawken.
    Where have you been, buddie? you didn’t get arressted did you?

    I agree we have progres now that the party of Regan is BACK in control. These leaders will create jobs, real jobs, and REPEAL Obummercare. A breath of fresh air.

    The demoncrats have ruined this contry. And ever since Obummer stole the Whitehouse it has been bad. More bad than ever.

    Liberls can not say they are better off under demoncrates because it is so bad for everyone. Six years seems like forever to me too Hawk buddie, I still have 2 years left on my sentence.

    I will get out in time to vote!\
    \
    I can not wate to read more of your posts, Hawken. My HERO!

  • Dazzeetrader11 on January 19 at 7:18 p.m.

    Scoutster…your boy squandered them. Time to get back to the prinicples of conservatism. Hu.is betting that guys like you will squak like crazy but don’t have the discipline to make a difference.
    I agree it’ll take deprivation and toughness to get the finanances of the country back on track. Gregoire just won’t.she can’t…too beholden to unions…….but the citizens can make a difference. not you of course…but citizens that refuse to be overtaken by the socialism of the current group. Do not rely on Government to fix any of this. Politicians run for office to be elected and re-elected. They’ll do whatever they need to do………..and until the citizens pull a Nov 2nd, they won’t listen. They WILL however blame the other guy….like cowards who won’t stand up and do the right thing.

    It has to be a “ground up” movement. It’s clear to see that the politicians won’t face the music they wrote themselves. So instead of perpetually whining..vote conservative. simple huh? And get back to work. This isn’t your entertainment…..it’s happening..we are losing the country.

  • drywitt99 on January 19 at 11:20 p.m.

    Anyone else notice Daisy’s total lack of comments on the planting of a powerful anti-personel explosive device along the path of a parade to honor a slain civil rights leader??

    And hawken’s only comment mouthed FOX News talking points on the “Fairness Doctrine”.

    I guess when you hold right wing views such as their’s, there is a natural tendency to try to maintain a low profile on an issue such as the bomb…..an incident stinking to high heaven of the racism which has become part and parcel of the extremist right.

    We know that hawken and Daisy are politically right of center.
    Their failure to seriously address this incident raises the question: how extreme are their views.

  • misjustice on January 20 at 8:36 a.m.

    Well, Hawken did go off in a huff, after Addy shut down the thread on Guns and he was absent from the threads over 5 days and 3 hours; totally not his “normal ” behaviour. Plenty of time to do some fancy building in the garage, and a way to get back at us “liberals”.

    Notice how he popped up on the discussion of the bomb for his first post after his absence? Coincidence or not? Maybe the FBI needs to have a little talk with him to rule him out/in? Mind you, I’m not sayin’ he’s a hateful bomber, just hateful…but you never know.

    Daisy as a bomber? Nah, not so much. She loves MLK Jr. because he was a Republican! She would never do anything like that, a lot of Republican’s walking to honor their fallen leader could get hurt, and that just wouldn’t do. Besides that, she’s not really hateful just partisan…
    ; )

  • misjustice on January 20 at 8:38 a.m.

    Well, dry, she does use racist words when talking about POTUS; just above she calls him “boy”….hmmm

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