Washington’s economy added 4,500 jobs in September and the state’s seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate for September was 4.4 percent according to the Employment Security Department. The September unemployment rate decreased slightly from the August 2018 unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, making it the lowest rate recorded based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics data series dating back to 1976.
“The state’s labor market is strong,” said Paul Turek, economist for the department. “Employers have been adding jobs to where most workers seeking one have been able to find one.”
The Employment Security Department released the preliminary job estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of its Monthly Employment Report.
The department also announced that August’s previously reported unemployment rate of 4.5 was confirmed. However, August’s preliminary estimated gain of 9,100 jobs was revised upward to a gain of 9,400 jobs.
The national unemployment rate dropped slightly to 3.7 percent in September. In September 2017, the national unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.
Employment Security paid unemployment insurance benefits to 44,558 people in September.
State’s labor force continued to grow
The state’s labor force in September was 3,770,900 – an increase of 5,200 people from the previous month. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 1,900 over the same period.
From September 2017 through September 2018, the state’s labor force grew by 19,300 and the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region increased by 22,600.
The labor force is the total number of people, both employed and unemployed, over the age of 16.
Eight industry sectors expanded, two remained unchanged and three contracted
Private sector employment increased by 3,900 while the public sector added 600 jobs in September. This month’s report shows the greatest private job growth occurred in retail trade up 2,100, education & health services up 2,000, financial activities up 1,700 and manufacturing up 1,400. Other sectors adding jobs were government up 600, other services up 500, information up 300 and transportation, warehousing & utilities up 100.
The number of jobs in both the mining & logging as well as professional & business services sectors remained constant in September.
Leisure & hospitality experienced the biggest reduction in September losing 2,500 jobs while construction lost 1,400 jobs and wholesale trade lost 300 jobs.
Year-over-year growth maintains strong trend
Washington added an estimated 99,700 new jobs from September 2017 through September 2018, not seasonally adjusted. The private sector grew by 3.5 percent, up an estimated 97,100 jobs, while public sector employment increased by 0.5 percent with a net gain of 2,600 jobs.
From September 2017 through September 2018, all thirteen industry sectors added jobs.
The three industry sectors with the largest employment gains year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted, were:
- Professional & business services with 24,000 new jobs;
- Construction with 11,700 new jobs and
- Education & health services with 15,200 new jobs
John Arbeeny says
Thank you President Trump! Remember this when you vote.
Betsy Tainer says
This is our economy in full recovery, a recovery that started in 2008 by President Obama putting in place measures that kept us from a full blown CRASH, that was brought on by the previous administration and their complete lack of concern over economic indicators that we were in trouble and the banks were stacking the deck against us. Measures that continued to make great gains through his second term in office and that were very nearly fully realized just as Trump took office.
The economy simply does not respond that quickly to policy. It just doesn’t. We will not feel the full impact of the Trump presidency until well after his term in office is over. That’s a simple fact.
Mr. Arbeeny, if your remark is serious, I have just lost a great deal of respect for you and your perspective.
Trump is stacking the decks against us. US business is hard pressed to know what to do with the ever changing/shifting business model when applied to the ever shifting tide of foreign markets and availability of labor to include immigrant and transient labor.
Many large businesses that rely on those workforces are looking for business opportunities in other markets, like Canada, where they can establish their business knowing that when the local labor force is tapped out that they can bring in foreign labor easily and more quickly…. the tech industries in particular, who rely heavily on foreign labor.
These same policies will also impact our crop production as the agricultural industry is also highly dependent on a foreign labor force.
Fine to make changes. But huge changes and swings in tariffs, visas, and international relations, will have a fallout. We just won’t know for years to come how devastating that will be.
Being as many of the changes are happening so fast, it’s likely that many businesses are going to try to ride it out through this administration vs investing hugely in revamping their business model, production lines, etc. Many will find that they can’t hold on and sustain the turmoil and, in the end, fold. It will take years for this to wash out and when that happens, I hope I’m wrong, I wonder who you’ll pin it on then.