March 2021 unemployment improves over March 2020

MOSES LAKE — The COVID-19 pandemic did some damage to Grant County’s economy, but the 2020 unemployment rate did not increase as much in Grant County as it did statewide. And, the unemployment rate in the county dropped, when compared year over year, between December 2020 and March 2021.

Don Meseck, regional labor economist for the Washington Department of Employment Security, said Grant County had an average annual 8.8% unemployment rate in 2020, up from average annual unemployment of 6.8% in 2019. The average annual unemployment statewide was 8.4% in 2020, up from 4.1% in 2019.

“Since the start of COVID-19 related layoffs in April 2020, job-loss rates in Grant County have not been as severe as job-loss rates statewide,” he said.

“Estimates indicate that Grant County’s economy lost 460 jobs in 2020, a 1.5% downturn, less than Washington’s 5.3% (job) loss rate during 2020,” Meseck added.

Grant County’s unemployment rate was 7.1% in March 2021, compared to a 7.7% unemployment rate in March 2020. Unemployment also dropped between February and March 2021, when it was 8.4%.

Grant County’s civilian labor force expanded in December 2020, January and March 2021, while at the same time the number of unemployed people was dropping, he said.

The wholesale trade sector added 230 jobs from March 2020 to March 2021.

“Most wholesale trade of nondurable goods businesses are dependent on central Washington’s agriculture industry,” Meseck said.

The county’s construction industry was strong throughout 2020, and it’s still showing job increases. Construction businesses added 50 jobs, year over year, from March 2020 to March 2021.

“Estimates indicate that year over year employment in Grant County’s construction industry has risen in the past 16 months, December 2019 to March 2021,” he said.

The news was not so encouraging in the manufacturing sector. Grant County lost 400 manufacturing jobs from March 2020 to March 2021.

“On an average annual basis, manufacturing in Grant County did not have a good year,” Meseck said. “This industry shed 310 jobs, a 6.8% downturn. Approximately 300 of the 310 jobs lost last year occurred at durable goods manufacturers. Conversely, manufacturers of nondurable goods, primarily food manufacturers, shed only 10 jobs countywide during 2020.”

The pandemic’s impact has shown up in the education sector. The state and local government sector, which includes education, lost 510 jobs from March 2020 to March 2021, Meseck said.

“State and local government education lost more jobs countywide this March, as compared to March 2020, than any other major sector. Nearly two-thirds, 64.6%, of all nonfarm jobs lost in Grant County (from March 2020 to March 2021) were in this employment category,” Meseck said.

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