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YOUR
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YOUR
BUSINESS JOURNAL.
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Published October 2004
Construction,
retail
lead yearly job gains
State survey shows demand
for nursing continues to climb
By
John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor
Although Washington state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose two-tenths of one percent to 6.2 percent in August, the decline in the labor force was less than expected, with segments such as nursing showing strong demand, state officials said.
The state’s civilian labor force declined by 42,800 in August, with both the number of employed and unemployed falling, said state Employment Security Commissioner Sylvia Mundy.
But the civilian labor force “was up 15,400 on a seasonally adjusted basis,” with seasonally adjusted employment up 10,500 and unemployment up by 4,900, according to the state Employment Security Department.
Manufacturing jobs rose by 900, primarily from increased activity in food manufacturing, while construction rose by 3,700 jobs as the building industry reached seasonal peaks.
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County jobless rate falls to 5.9% Unemployment in Snohomish County continued to fall in August, dropping three-tenths of a percentage point to 5.9 percent, the state Employment Security Department reported. But the decline wasn’t due to a big increase in hiring. In fact, just the opposite occurred. The number of nonfarm jobs dropped by 800 in August, from 216,000 to 215,200. But the number of people on the jobless rolls also fell, lowering the unemployment percentage. Greg Weeks of Employment Security said both factors were likely caused by summer layoffs of local school district workers, which reduced the number of jobs. Since most of them weren’t actively looking for work, they weren’t listed as unemployed. “That’s how employment and unemployment can both fall,” Weeks said. Donna Thompson, local labor economist with Employment Security, noted that in Snohomish County, some 1,500 workers from local school districts were laid off. Aerospace employment remained flat at about 21,300 jobs. Retailers added about 400 jobs, and restaurants and bars also added 400, Thompson said. She noted that throughout the year, the local economy has added about 3,000 nonfarm jobs. The service-related sectors have actually added around 5,000 jobs, but the county has lost 2,100 positions in goods-producing areas. Statewide, the labor force also dwindled, dropping by 42,800 people. The statewide jobless rate also fell to 5.9 percent in August. When adjusted for seasonal factors, however, it rose to 6.2 percent, comparable to the national average of 5.4 percent. — SCBJ Staff |
In the retail sector, jobs increased by 700 in August over July, even in the face of soft sales, a result of slow wage growth, high gasoline prices and lower than anticipated back-to-school spending.
Employment rose by 2,100 in the leisure and hospitality industries, boosted by such activities as baseball, golf, boating, traveling and outdoor dining.
Employment services added 1,800 workers over the month, though that figure was 1,300 less than the number added last year between July and August.
Over the year, nonagricultural employment gained 50,700 jobs, compared to August 2003, according to the state.
The largest over-the-year employment gains occurred in construction work, with 8,600 new jobs, and in retail trade, with 6,700, including 5,000 jobs in general merchandise, food and beverage stores.
The information sector’s employment rose by 5,000, which includes software publishing, while professional and business services were up by 11,100 jobs, with much of that gain occurring in administrative and support services, up 7,300.
Jobs increased by 6,700 in education and health services, with most of that increase in ambulatory health-care services.
The only major industry sector that lost employment over the year was manufacturing, down 2,800 jobs, primarily in the aerospace products and parts subsectors.
One particularly strong sector in the state’s most recent “Job Vacancy Survey” was nursing, with jobs for registered nurses continuing to climb in Washington state. Nurses made up 6 percent of more than 59,000 job openings statewide during the spring, according to the state.
“Nurses have consistently ranked among the state’s top in-demand occupations since Employment Security began its biannual ‘Job Vacancy Survey’ in fall 2002,” said Employment Security spokesman Greg Weeks. “Only seasonal shifts in agricultural labor have bumped them from the number-one spot.”
The latest survey shows 3,318 job openings for registered nurses reported in May 2004 — up 807 positions from the previous year, with a median hourly wage of $21.60.
Other job categories in demand included graders and sorters of agricultural products, sales and personal-care occupations, cashiers, food service workers, sales representatives and computer software engineers.
Among industry groups, health-care practitioners led the way with a total of 6,548 vacancies, 17 percent of the total in May. Besides registered nurses, this category includes vacancies for licensed practical nurses, physical therapists and radiology technicians, among others.
Health-care support jobs, which have fewer education and licensing requirements, posted more than 1,600 job vacancies. Top among health-care support vacancies were nursing aides, also known as orderlies.
The report is available online at www.workforceexplorer.com under “Economy.”
© 2004 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA
