Jobless Rates Shows Slight Rise

Washington state’s unemployment rate bucked a 20-year trend by inching up in August, but state labor officials said it’s too soon to say whether the job market is losing its sizzle.

The unemployment rate rose 0.1 percent to 4.8 percent, marking the first increase in August in two decades, state Employment Security Commission Carver Gayton said in his agency’s monthly jobless report.

Seasonally adjusted, Washington’s unemployment rate moved up 0.2 percent to 5.1 percent. The seasonally adjusted national rate increased 0.1 percent to 4.1 percent.

“Although both the national and state seasonally adjusted rates increased, there isn’t enough data yet to suggest a trend upward,” Gayton said.

Spokane County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly, from 4.8 percent in July to 4.7 percent in August.

“There’s really not that much change there, one-tenth of a percent. There were no seasonal shifts,” said labor analyst Fred Walsh.

Job totals increase at the end of spring and the end of summer, Walsh added. “July and August are the in-between months when there’s little seasonal change” Spokane’s unemployment rate was 4.3 percent a year ago. But that was based on fewer total nonfarm jobs. Spokane County had about 207,300 nonfarm jobs in August 2000, compared with 206,900 a year ago, according to state data.

Statewide, nonfarm wage and salaried employment rose by 7,700 workers.

Manufacturing payrolls increased by 2,300, including a gain of 2,300 in food processing as the harvest of soft fruits and vegetables peaked.

Construction expanded by 2,900 workers, likely marking the high of 174,700 for the year. Business services increased by 3,700 and wholesale and retail trade added 1,000 employees to payrolls, despite a loss of 700 jobs with food stores.

Other gains were reported in apparel, lumber, restaurants and industrial equipment production.

Government shed 6,200 workers as Census workers finished their duties. Aircraft and parts dropped nearly 200 jobs, bringing the cumulative drawdown since August 1999 to 8,000.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Jobless rates

These are the August unemployment percentages for selected Washington counties.

Spokane 4.7

Adams 6.1

Asotin 2.1

Benton 5.7

Clark 5.1

Columbia 9.6

Douglas 8.0

Ferry 10.7

Franklin 6.2

Garfield 2.9

Grant 7.2

King 3.5

Lincoln 3.6

Okanogan 9.6

Pend Oreille 7.4

Pierce 5.2

Snohomish 3.7

Stevens 6.7

Walla Walla 5.0

Whitman 1.9

State high Ferry (10.5)

State low San Juan (1.8)