Jobless rate down over month, year

Spokane County’s unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in April, down from 5 percent in March and 5.7 percent in April 2005.

State Labor Economist Jeff Zahir said construction has been a particularly strong sector over the past year, adding 1,200 jobs in Spokane County. Gains also were made in the health care and manufacturing industries, Zahir said.

Statewide, the unemployment rate is hovering near all-time lows. Employers added 5,200 workers to their payrolls in April, but the unemployment rate edged upward as more people resumed looking for employment. The new rate is 4.7 percent, up from the previous month’s 4.6 percent, which equaled a six-year low.

Spokane

Tech firm will reimburse county

Spokane County will be reimbursed $9,000 from a Spokane Valley company that has ceased operations.

The Sheriff’s Office purchased wireless communication equipment for patrol cars last year from Vivato, said Steve Kinn, a Spokane County deputy prosecutor representing the Sheriff’s Office.

Once a promising high-tech firm, Vivato shut down operations late last year.

Although the county received the equipment it ordered, its purchase agreement included a warranty and service that Vivato hasn’t been able to provide, Kinn said. The county determined the worth of the lost support to be about $9,000, which Vivato agreed to refund.