Washington’s Economy Adds Jobs for Second Straight Month

Washingtons economy gained an estimated 1,600 jobs in March, compared to the month before according to the state’s Employment Security Department.

In spite of the added jobs, the unemployment rate edged up to 9.5 percent in March from Februarys revised rate of 9.4 percent as more unemployed residents started to look for work again.

The March job gains mark the second consecutive monthly gain in employment following 13 consecutive months of job losses beginning at the end of 2008.

This recovery is going to take time, but the latest job gains are another positive indicator that were on the right track, said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee.

Industries that added jobs in March were professional and business services, up 1,500; retail trade, up 500; leisure and hospitality, up 500; government, up 400; wholesale trade, up 300; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 300; information, up 300; and mining and logging, up 200.

The construction sector lost an estimated 1,400 jobs in March. Other industries that shed jobs were financial services, down 700, and education and health services, down 300.

Unemployment grew in spite of the job gains because the labor force grew event faster, rising by 6,000 people in March. That’s likely because many residents who had previously been discouraged by the poor state of the employment market, are once again looking for work and are therefore included in the labor rolls, says Dave Wallace, an economist at Employment Security.

People who are unemployed but not actively seeking work are not factored into the unemployment rate. When discouraged workers rejoin the job market faster than jobs are created, they can cause the unemployment rate to rise.

An estimated 347,720 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work in March, while more than 291,000 people received unemployment benefits from the state.