Washington unemployment rate hits lowest point in 11 years

Washington’s jobless rate in July was 4.6 percent – its lowest point since June 2007 – as strong employer demand continued to outpace growth in the working population.

An estimated 12,400 new jobs were added in July, with professional and business services, retail, manufacturing, wholesale and information leading the way, according to the Washington Employment Security Department.

The state’s working population grew by more than 30,000 people since July 2017 and now totals more than 3.76 million. The state’s count of unemployed people was down by 4,000 from a year ago to 173,600.