June employment report released

OLYMPIA — The June employment report from Employment Security Department has Washington’s record-low unemployment rate at 4.5 percent with state gaining 2,500 jobs over the month.   

“Washington’s economy continues to add jobs slowly, just not enough for the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to fall lower in June,” Paul Turek, economist for the department. wrote in a press release issued by the Employment Security Department. “There’s just not a lot of excess skilled labor available in the market for employers to dramatically increase hiring.” 

The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Adams County stands at 5 percent, which is a slight decrease form the 5.1 percent mark in May. Grant County is few ticks higher at 5.6 percent, down from the 5.9 percent mark in May. Ferry County unemployment rate continues to soar past all other counties in the star with 9.5 percent of its workforce out of a job. 

According to the report, Employment Security paid unemployment insurance benefits to 49,148 people in June. The greatest job growth occurred in the government sector up 2,800, wholesale trade up 2,000 and other services up 1,900 new jobs. Other sectors adding jobs were construction up 1,400, financial services up 1,100, information up 600 and mining and logging and transportation, warehousing and utilities each up 100.       

Retail and education and health services faced the biggest reduction in June, losing 2,700 and 2,600 jobs respectively. Leisure and hospitality cut 1,200, professional and business services eliminated 600 and manufacturing trimmed 400.