Spokane County jobless rate drops to 5% for March

Spokane County’s jobless rate dropped from 6.6% in February to 5% in March with about 5,400 more workers finding work compared to the prior month, according to data released by the Washington state Employment Security Department.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate for Washington was 4.5% in March, which was slightly below February but higher than the 4.1% rate for March 2022.

While the jobless rate was higher in the state, data indicates that the Evergreen state gained 113,400 jobs over the past year, based on federal Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled from a survey of businesses.

In February, the state gained 15,400 jobs. Nonfarm employment rose in the state in March by 1,500 jobs, mostly through public-sector postings.

In Spokane County, 13,583 workers were reported out of work in March. That compares to 17,967 who reported being jobless in February. 

The revised estimate for February shows that the state’s unemployment rate was 4.6%. Last year during the same month, the state’s jobless rate was 4.3%.

The February rate for the state was unchanged from the 4.6% rate for January in the state, according to the ESD.