Washington state unemployment rate holds steady in January

Washington state’s unemployment rate held at 5.1 percent in January, even with the estimated loss of 7,200 jobs over the month.

“Typical seasonal job losses in leisure and hospitality and construction finally showed up after a sustained period of activity,” said Paul Turek, labor economist with the Employment Security Department. “Washington’s economic outlook still remains positive, and we continue to see historically low numbers for unemployment.”

The national unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in January. The unemployment rate in the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett area was unchanged at 3.7 percent. Rates for counties have not yet been released for January.

The state paid unemployment insurance benefits to 78,102 people in January.

The state’s labor force rose to 3.68 million during the month, an increase of 7,600 people from December. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 5,400 over the same period.

From January 2016 to January 2017, the state’s labor force grew by 89,200, with half of that coming in the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region.

The labor force is the total number of people, both employed and unemployed, over age 16.