Washington unemployment rate at 4.7 percent

OLYMPIA – Washington’s jobless rate dipped slightly as the state added 8,500 jobs last month.

According to numbers released Wednesday by the Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate for May dropped to 4.7 percent from April’s 4.8 percent.

Paul Turek, economist for the department, said in a written statement that gains “were widespread across industries with most adding jobs.”

The largest job gains last month were seen in retail trade and construction. manufacturing retail trade and leisure and hospitality. The biggest reductions were seen in transportation, warehousing and utilities.

Job gains and losses are estimates based on a survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate counts the percentage of people who are unemployed and actively looking for work, and doesn’t include those who have stopped looking for work.

The national unemployment rate for March was 3.8 percent.