WA unemployment falls, local rate above average

OLYMPIA — While Washington state’s unemployment rate continues to fall, it’s still higher than the nation as a whole, according to data published Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Washington state posted a preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.2% for March, down from revised statewide figures for February of 4.3% and from 5.8% in March 2021.

According to the report, roughly 4 million Washington residents were employed in March, up 8,800 from the previous month, with leisure and hospitality, professional services and information services posting the largest gains.

Grant County recorded a preliminary unemployment rate of 7.2% in March, or 3,457 people, according to BLS data, while Adams County posted a March unemployment rate of 5.7%, or 552 people.

Data is based on a survey of businesses and is subject to revision, ESD said in its monthly employment report. The number of unemployed people is an estimate of those who do not have a job, are available for work and have actively looked for work in the four weeks prior to the survey.

Under this definition, around 166,000 Washington residents were unemployed in March 2022, the report said.

Nationwide, March unemployment fell to 3.6% from 3.8% in February and 6% in March 2021, the BLS report said.