Employment Security faces tough choices

The state Department of Employment Security is facing post recession layoffs and tough decisions as the state agency eliminates 400 positions.

Employment Security's last round of layoffs is expected to be done June 15, which will leave the state agency with between 1,600 to 1,700 positions. Before the recession, there was between 1,800 to 1,900 positions.

The layoffs occur while Employment Security helps the unemployed find work and provides unemployment checks to those seeking jobs.

Among its many decisions, Employment Security is working through how best to divide up the work of 12 labor economists that will be distributed to a remaining six economists, according to the agency's communications director Sheryl Hutchison.

A regional economist is key because that employee prepares more localized unemployment reports for a handful of counties, which are released after statewide figures are made available. The reports are then be distributed to area media. Journalists glean numbers and trends from the data for their articles. After the layoffs, more work throughout the agency will be put on fewer people.

"Some work will not get done," Hutchison said, when asked about the unemployment reports. "Once the layoff is done and we know what's left, we can have those conversations. The catch is figuring out what gets done."

Grant County is part of Employment Security's North Central Region Workforce Development Area, which also includes the counties of Adams, Douglas, Chelan and Okanogan. There are a total of 12 Workforce Development Areas statewide.

Up until April 23, Grant and Adams counties had a regional economist, Mark Berreth, based out of Wenatchee. He found other work and the position was not filled. Berreth's work is being handled by existing staff.

After the layoffs, we hope Grant and Adams counties are not forgotten.

Eastern Washington counties need a voice and a level playing field when it comes to attracting new business and telling its story. Accurate statistics help us do so and provides depth to our reporting and the public's understanding of the issue.

Our readers deserve the most accurate, timely information possible, regardless of where we live.

And Basin job seekers deserve all the tools possible to find work that best fits their skills and experience.

We wish Employment Security the best of luck in balancing the needs and many interests of Washington's residents.

- Editorial Board