Spokane County jobless rate in double digits again

Spokane County unemployment rate climbed back into double digits in February.

The 10.1 percent jobless rate is up from 9.8 percent in January. However, the non-seasonally-adjusted number is an improvement over February of 2011, when the unemployment rate was 11 percent, according to the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Jobless numbers are usually the highest during the winter months as retailers contract after the holiday season and construction projects await warmer weather.

The unemployment rate for Washington sat at 9.1 percent. Of the state’s most populated areas, King County had the lowest jobless rate at 7.5 percent in February.

Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate in the state at 15.7 percent.