Published September 2003

County jobless rate
hits 8.3 percent

By Mike Benbow
Herald Business Editor

Unemployment fell around the state and the nation in July, but not in Snohomish County, which lost 1,500 jobs.

“It’s hard to find the good news as the Snohomish County economy continued to lose jobs during the month of July,” said Donna Thompson, local labor economist with the state Employment Security Department.

The county’s jobless rate jumped to 8.3 percent in July, an increase of four-tenths of a percentage point from the revised figure for June. By comparison, the state jobless rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.5 percent. Adjusted for seasonal trends, the national rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.2 percent.

Much of the job loss in Snohomish County was expected — state education jobs fell by 700 here, and local schools also took 700 people off the payroll. Those jobs will return in the fall. But the aerospace industry here cut 400 jobs in July that likely won’t return anytime soon.

Thompson said the industry has cut 4,000 jobs in Snohomish County during the past year. And Boeing recently announced plans to cut another 5,000 workers, which will bring total company cutbacks to 40,000 since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

While noting that the overall news is tough for Snohomish County, Thompson said there are glimmers of good news. Retail stores added 100 people to the payroll in July, as did general merchandise shops. Restaurants and taverns added 200 jobs in July.

“The labor market in Washington continues to send mixed signals,” said Deputy Employment Security Commissioner Thomas Bynum. “Although the unemployment rate edged down based on household survey data, nonagricultural jobs declined during July, and the number of people claiming unemployment insurance edged up.”

The state has lost only 100 jobs during the past year, despite 21,200 lost manufacturing jobs, about half in aerospace. Education, government, financial activities and trade all saw increases over that period.

In Snohomish County, which had an estimated labor force of 347,800 in July, 319,000 were working and 28,800 were looking for work.

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