The unemployment rates for February are back up in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties as double digit figures persist on the Twin Harbors.
Grays Harbor has the third highest rate among counties statewide, tied with Stevens County with 12.3 percent. That is up a full point over January’s rate. Pacific County is back up as well, at 11.3 percent, just less than a point increase.
The numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
The county unemployment figures continue to be a tale of two states, with Puget Sound counties and a few southeast counties all in single digits: King at 5.2 percent, Snohomish with 6 percent, Asotin with 6.5 percent and Whitman with 6.9 percent.
Nearby, Thurston reports 7.4 percent while Lewis is higher than Pacific, with 11.7 percent. Mason reported 10.2 percent.
Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties have had double digit unemployment rates since the Great Recession of 2008. The state’s overall revised rate is 6.4 percent. The county rates for this year are not yet revised for February.
The only glimmer of positive news is that Twin Harbors unemployment numbers are down from revised figures for February last year. And Pacific County’s labor force has grown by 50 people from 8480 last year in February to 8,530.
“We are starting the year off a lot better than we started last year,” state labor economist Jim Vleming said. “It’s the tail end of the winter months when employment often drops in rural counties.”
Vleming said he fully expects March and April to bring more traction as seasonal construction, fishing, leisure and hospitality companies hire.
“Recovery is not as fast as we would all like to see but at the same time we are definitely going in the right direction,” he said. “I gotta think as we get to May and June chances are good to get below double digits, if I had to guess.”
The labor force in Grays Harbor dropped 400 people from February last year to this year in Grays Harbor, from 27,980 to 27,580.
Erin Hart, 360-537-3932, ehart@thedailyworld.com. Twitter: @DW_Erin
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