Whatcom County’s unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years, with the private sector adding 2,400 jobs in the past year.
Whatcom’s unemployment rate was 6.4 percent in October, down from a revised rate of 6.9 percent in September. It’s the lowest monthly rate locally since December 2008.
Year-over-year job growth took place in most local private sectors, led by trade/transportation (adding 600 people in the past year) and manufacturing (up 500). The number of people employed in manufacturing locally was estimated to be 9,100 in October, the highest monthly total since September 2008.
The public sector shed 200 jobs in the past year, all of which came in the local government sector.
Whatcom’s unemployment rate remains significantly lower than nearby counties, including Skagit (8.1 percent in October), Snohomish (7.1 percent) and even King County (6.5 percent). The lowest county unemployment rate was in San Juan (5.1 percent), while the highest was in Wahkiakum (11.7 percent).
October is typically the month Whatcom posts the lowest unemployment rate as schools get into full swing and holiday hiring begins.
Washington’s unemployment rate, seasonably adjusted, was 8.2 percent last month.
This story will be updated.
Must be more lies right?
Good news! I am glad the numbers continue to trend downwards.
I will wait and see…it is the holiday hire season…see if the numbers stay that way come Feb/Mar.
Just as the end of the story says.
“October is typically the month Whatcom posts the lowest unemployment rate as schools get into full swing and holiday hiring begins.”
We sure don’t need that dirty coal dump and the Snow Jobs Now with a descending unemployment rate like this.
..the unemployed have moved on trying to find work….
Well, from what I can see people have ran out of their unemployment and still aren’t working. I, being one of them unemployed, people. This is why the numbers go down. There are a lot of people out there with no hope.
I fear Viola is correct. Would like to see year to year labor participation rates AND the number of part time jobs these “employed” people are working.
Jemek, what are you going to “wait for”? So what if the rate goes back up a little after the holiday hire season? That is the holiday season effect, right? That is still the lowest since the crash and maybe you are one of those who want to blame Obama for everything, I don’t know, but if he deserves the blame for that (he doesn’t but that is the popular delusion,)then he also deserves the credit.
Fork U, so apropos, what does that mean? Sure some have used their unemployment up.
The R’s want to punish them by denying them extensions of benefits, trashing the safety net and tossing them to the corporate wolves whose evil ways of outsourcing, off shoring
and dodging every tax they can has led us here.
Viola I feel your pain, but there is far more hope now than the day Bush left the White House with the seat up and the bowl full. And only Obama has worked to turn this around while dealing with an obstructionist brigade of miscreants who dithered while pushing their culture war agenda, gave free rein to their racism and contributed nothing but childish naysaying and blame dodging.