Education, health care ‘immune’ to COVID-19 layoffs

RITZVILLE — Unemployment in Adams County was lower in April 2021 than April 2020 and March 2021.

April 2021 unemployment was 6.1%, down from 9.3% in April 2020. Unemployment also dropped between March and April 2021. March unemployment was 6.9%.

Don Meseck, regional labor economist for the Washington Department of Employment Security, said the county’s economy lost 100 jobs in 2020.

“Year over year, total nonfarm employment contracted in Adams County in each of the 12 months from April 2020 to March 2021,” Meseck wrote in an email.

But the number of nonfarm jobs stabilized from April 2020 to April 2021, he wrote.

“The Adams County unemployment rate of 6.1% this April was roughly comparable to the 5.4% reading in April 2019, only seven-tenths of a point higher, an indication that the local economy is returning to some level of normalcy,” Meseck wrote.

The private education and health services sector has been strong in Adams County, adding jobs every month from October 2017 through April 2021. In Adams County, that sector is dominated by private health services, Meseck said. It added 30 jobs from April 2020 to April 2021, Meseck wrote.

“Hence, quantitatively, education and health services appeared ‘immune’ to the COVID-19 related layoffs that plagued most major industries during 2020,” Meseck wrote.

The transportation and warehousing sector continued to add jobs, when measured year over year. Transportation and warehousing added 60 jobs from April 2020 to April 2021, a 16.2% increase.

The news was not so good in the retail trade sector.

“Year over year, employment in Adams County’s retail trade industry has decreased in the past eight months, September 2020 through April 2021,” Meseck wrote.

Adams County retail trade lost 190 jobs from April 2020 to April 2021, he wrote.

The leisure and hospitality sector produced both good news and bad news.

“Leisure and hospitality employment in Adams County lost jobs for 12 consecutive months, year over year, from April 2020 to March 2021. But estimates show a growth ‘spurt’ in this industry from April 2020 to April 2021. During this timeframe, leisure and hospitality -- primarily hotels, eating and drinking places, and amusement and recreation -- added 70 jobs across Adams County,” Meseck wrote.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.