County job numbers improve

Spokane County’s jobless rate dipped to 4.5 percent in October, the lowest rate among Washington’s 13 large counties or metropolitan areas, state officials said Tuesday.

Spokane’s rate dropped in October one-tenth of a percentage point from September’s 4.6 percent rate, said state Labor Economist Jeff Zahir, who tracks Spokane County’s job data. In October 2003, Spokane had a 6.3 percent jobless rate.

In all, the county gained about 2,300 nonfarm jobs in September, most due to seasonal hiring by schools, Zahir added.

The state jobless rate in October was 5.2 percent, up slightly from 5.1 percent in September. Both rates and those for Spokane are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they don’t take into account shifts due to seasonal hiring.

The U.S. jobless rate for October was 5.5 percent.

Of Washington’s major counties and cities, the next lowest jobless rate in October was Bellingham’s 4.6 percent rate. The highest in October was Franklin County’s 5.9 percent.

Zahir, looking over the general gains in Spokane’s jobs picture, said October’s numbers suggest the economy here has turned the corner. But they don’t completely satisfy the key question, “Are we there yet?” Zahir said.

Layoffs announced by Spokane’s major hospitals are beginning to be tracked by the monthly job data, Zahir noted.

There were 200 fewer hospital jobs in Spokane in October 2004 than in October one year earlier, he said. That number could grow over time.

Statewide, officials with Washington’s Employment Security Department report a gain of roughly 10,000 nonfarm jobs in October, compared with September 2004.

Of those, 6,900 were in the private sector. Local government added 2,200 jobs statewide. Warehousing, transportation and utilities lost 700 jobs, state officials said.