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January 20, 2012 in Business
Washington, Idaho jobless rates fall again
Conflicting data continues to cloud Washington’s economic outlook and jobless rates.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said today that unemployment dropped to 8.5 percent in December from 8.7 percent in November. Those numbers are based on household surveys.
At the same time, a survey of Washington businesses shows that the employers shed 10,700 jobs from November to December.
Despite the confusion, officials with the Washington Employment Security Department report that the overall trend is gradual growth in jobs and falling unemployment.
Leading the job growth is education and health services, with 2,200 more jobs in December; manufacturing, with 2,100 new jobs; 1,100 in aerospace; and 500 in warehousing, transportation and utilities.
The report showed that 4,300 jobs were lost in professional and business services; 3,500 in retail; 3,200 in leisure and hospitality; 1,900 in construction; and 1,200 in government.
The report showed that 297,430 people in Washington were looking for jobs in December. As of mid-January, 71,141 people had exhausted their unemployment benefits.
County and city data are set to be released next week.
In Idaho: The jobless rate in Idaho dipped to 8.4 percent in December, down a full percentage point from a year earlier, according the Idaho Department of Labor.
There were 698,000 Idahoans working in December, the most since March 2009.
Economists said that job growth during the final three months of 2011 was strongest since the economic expansion began to wane in 2007.
The better December numbers mark the fifth straight month that Idaho’s unemployment rate has fallen.
The release of local unemployment rates was delayed as wintry weather disrupted businesses and data gathering efforts.
Despite the better numbers, the department said there are roughly three unemployed workers for every open job posting – pointing to the difficulty some employers have expressed in finding workers with the right skills.
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
DHF on January 20 at 3:36 p.m.
What about the people who have exhausted their unemployment and are no longer a statistic. Somehow I think they are using fuzzy math to show that things are getting better but I really wonder, Are They.
Loudin on January 20 at 3:52 p.m.
Could be.
I did hear a rumor that the camera guys who filmed the staged moon landings in the desert are out of work. Maybe they ought to hook up with that guy in the Bigfoot costume and see if they can “synergize” their conspiracies into a money-making endeavor.
BTW: These numbers were cooked up by the Axis Powers (Pelosi/Reed/Rosie O’Donnell) to ensure the illegal re-election of the smoking Kenyan. What else would explain their “sudden” appearance when previously things looked so poorly? Hmmm…did I? Did? I?
Loudin
Dazzeetrader11 on January 20 at 4:31 p.m.
Read the first paragraph and the last sentence of the article.
Nothing to believe in. Just hogwash.
fhstorey on January 20 at 6:06 p.m.
I’m reminded how the Fed continues to claim that inflation is benign. This of course is because they changed how they measure, discounting food and energy. Are there any out their that believe the price of food is going to come down and if so when and why? I’ll remind that world population continues to grow with a general rise in income. World food price increases have been in double digits for some time now Perhaps the Fed believes their mandate also includes keeping the people from becoming critics. Sad situation.
Shadedmuse on January 20 at 7:45 p.m.
The ression is over, thenkyou President Obama for ending the Bush-Cheney-tea-bagger ression and war in Iraq and getting Osama, I will buy you lunch at five guys.