Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

State jobless claims fall for third consecutive week

Laid-off workers in the state filed 11,699 new jobless claims the week ending March 13, a 0.5% decrease compared with the week prior, the department reported Thursday.  (Associated Press / The Associated Press)

New jobless claims in the state continued their downward trajectory for a third consecutive week, according to the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Laid-off workers in the state filed 11,699 new jobless claims the week ending March 13, a 0.5% decrease compared with the week before, the department reported Thursday.

The number of new jobless claims in the state fell, in part, because of fewer layoffs in the administrative and support services, and arts, entertainment and recreation sectors, according to the ESD.

Continued claims in all unemployment categories slightly decreased, with 449,838 benefit applications filed in the week ending March 13, a 0.8% decrease from a week prior.

New claims are 17% below applications filed in the second week of March 2020, when the pandemic was beginning to take hold in the state, according to the ESD.

The ESD paid more than $249.5 million in benefits last week. It has paid $15.8 billion in benefits since the pandemic’s onset last year.

Workers in the construction sector filed the greatest number of new claims in the state last week with 1,752, followed by those in accommodation and food services with 1,177. Retail trade workers filed 1,122, according to the ESD.

Spokane County workers file 13% fewer requests

Laid-off workers in Spokane County filed 708 new unemployment claims the week ending March 13, a 13% drop compared with 814 claims filed the week before, according to the employment security department.

In the county, 359 new claims were from undisclosed professions that have not been categorized into specific employment sectors.

Employees in the food service and drinking places sector filed 62, followed by specialty trade contractor employees and social assistance workers, who filed 55 and 42 claims, respectively.

Applications down 17% compared to 2020