Washington’s jobless rate fell in January

Washington’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent in January as 13,200 jobs were created. The improved jobless numbers were led by stronger hiring in professional and business services, retail trade, and education and health employment. Government jobs fell, along with mining and logging. The January jobless rate – 8.3 percent – is down from December’s revised unemployment rate of 8.6 percent, according to the state’s Employment Security Department. Since the depth of the recession, the state has regained about 98,000 jobs. Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a news release today that an economic recovery is under way. There were 291,400 people seeking employment in January. About 74,616 workers in Washington had exhausted their unemployment benefits as of Feb. 25.