Joblessness dips a bit in county
Spokane’s unemployment rate declined to 9.1 percent in May
Unemployment fell slightly in Spokane County in May for the first time in months, possibly signaling a bottom for the local labor market, regional labor economist Doug Tweedy said Tuesday.
The Washington Employment Security Department reported a gain of 2,470 jobs in May, a gain that whittled the unemployment rate down to 9.1 percent from 9.3 percent in April. The rate remains well above the 4.8 percent for May 2008.
Job growth was the highest since June 2007, when employment jumped by 3,500.
The department said the unemployment rate for all of Washington rose to 9.4 percent seasonally adjusted, 9.2 percent without adjustment. The national adjusted unemployment rate also is 9.4 percent.
In Spokane County, 220,890 were employed, up from 218,420 in April but down from 226,150 last May. The local numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
Tweedy said new jobs in Spokane were about evenly split between leisure and hospitality on one hand, and transportation, health care, private education and professional and technical service on the other.
He said the bump in hospitality jobs is normal this time of year. The increases in other categories are more encouraging because they appear sustainable, he said.
New claims for unemployment benefits also fell compared with April, Tweedy said, as did the number of jobs listed at the Spokane WorkSource office.
“That’s good news because people are going back to work,” he said. “We’re filling the job openings.”
He said he is encouraged by slowing rural migration into Spokane as seasonal work adds jobs in neighboring counties. Also, he said, few companies have closed, even during the economic down-cycle, which means they are surviving to rebound when the economy does.