Spokane on track to add 6,000 jobs this year

The greater Spokane region is on track to add 6,000 jobs this year, the highest number since 2007-2008, according to the latest figures from the Washington Employment Security Department.

Spokane County’s unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in October, the department said Tuesday. That’s a full percentage point lower than the rate a year ago, said Doug Tweedy, regional labor economist.

“The other part of good news is people applying for unemployment insurance has dropped to pre-recession levels,” Tweedy said. That’s an indicator the number of jobs will continue to grow in 2016, he said.

“The majority of new jobs are in industries that pay higher than average for all industries,” Tweedy added, including health care, transportation and warehousing, and professional, scientific and financial activities.