Washington unemployment rate for October was 4.5 percent

OLYMPIA – Washington state’s October unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.5 percent from the previous month.

According to numbers released Wednesday by the state Employment Security Department, October’s rate was down from September’s rate of 4.6 percent. The state also saw a net loss of 1,600 jobs in October. The largest private job growth occurred in retail trade, information and construction, while the biggest losses were seen in other services, manufacturing and education and health services.

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 October was 3.6 percent, and the rate in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett region was 3 percent.