Grant County sees 1,870 more jobs

MOSES LAKE - Grant County saw 1,870 more non-farm jobs in June than in May, according to figures provided by the state Employment Security Department.

The figure includes all jobs, from selling Avon to agricultural workers, explained Mark Berreth, a state regional labor economist.

"It is not as good as what we expect," Berreth said. "You expect a couple hundred more to be in that."

Grant County's unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in June, which was three tenths of a percentage point lower than May's rate.

The June unemployment rate was nearly identical to last June's rate of 9.1 percent.

"I was expecting things to look better in all the counties," Berreth said. "I'm getting this mixed message across the board. At the height of the summer season in agriculture, I expect the unemployment figures to look better than they are."

Grant County is doing slightly better than most of the areas in the state for non-farm employment and experienced 2 percent job growth in June.

"Grant County is definitely one of the best counties in Washington as far as growth is concerned," he said.

Other counties reported half a percent of growth.

"Again, it is still a bit of a mixed message," Berreth says.

In Grant County, the colder spring might result in delayed hiring in July, he said.

One of the surprises for Berreth was the 16-percent, or 160-job, increase over last year in the information and financial activities area.

It includes jobs for tourism councils and tourism activity related to financial and investment firms, he said.

"That's an area hard to get growing after a recession," he said. "Seeing that pick up was surprising."

Grant County's growth appears to be more related to existing businesses.

Jobs in Grant County are ramping up to pre-recession levels, but it has taken four years for them to come back, he said.

Overall jobs in Central Washington and North Central Washington remain relatively steady, which is good, because the area isn't experiencing a big boom-bust cycle, Berreth commented.

Debbie Doran-Martinez, the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce's executive director, said Grant County's job increase "speaks well for our community that we're able to grow jobs in a down economy."