Preliminary unemployment rates for March dipped in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties but stayed in double digits.
Grays Harbor’s rate dropped to 11.4 percent, one half of one percent lower than February’s revised rate of 11.9 percent. Grays Harbor had the fourth highest rate among the state’s counties counties, just lower than Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry in the northeast corner of the state.
Pacific County dropped six tenths of a percent, from 11.1 percent in February to 10.5 percent in March.
The statewide rate of 6.3 percent continues to be buoyed by lower unemployment numbers along Puget Sound. King County is lowest, at 5.2 percent.
None of the numbers are seasonally adjusted.
Of real concern is that while non-farm employment in the state is growing by 2.1 percent, the rate for Grays Harbor County is stagnated at 0.1 percent, said labor economist Jim Vleming.
While construction and leisure and hospitality job growth will go up seasonally, manufacturing job losses are hard to make up, he said. “It kind of gets to be like a broken record,” Vleming said.
Although the affects of the great recession persist on the Twin Harbors, the preliminary unemployment rates for March have dropped a point or more from the revised number for March of last year.
Grays Harbor’s rate for March of last year has been revised downward to 12.8 percent. Pacific County’s rate has also been revised to 11.5 percent. So from a year ago, Grays Harbor’s dipped by 1.4 percent and Pacific’s by 1 percent.
While Grays Harbor County’s labor force has shrunk by 100 jobs from last to this year, from 27,880 to 27,780. Pacific County’s grew by 70 jobs from last year to this year, from 8,730 to 8,800.
The loss of 20 to 100 jobs really isn’t that bad comparatively, Vleming said.
He still believes that the rate in both counties will drop below double digits next quarter, looking at historical trends. “It will still be in high single digits,” Vleming said.
Erin Hart, 360-537-3932, ehart@thedailyworld.com. Twitter: @DW_Erin
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