PORT ANGELES — Unemployment rates dipped slightly on the North Olympic Peninsula in November while the region’s labor force grew by 165 workers, state officials said.
Clallam County unemployment went from a revised 7.5 percent in October to a preliminary 7.4 percent in November, the state Employment Security Department estimated Tuesday.
Jefferson County unemployment went from a revised 7.5 percent in October to a preliminary 7.3 percent last month, officials said.
The seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate went from 5.4 percent in October to 5.3 percent in November.
National unemployment fell from 4.9 percent to 4.6 percent, according to Employment Security and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Clallam County had 25,441 employed citizens and 2,025 seeking work in November. Clallam County’s labor force grew by 96 workers last month, from 27,370 to 27,466.
Jefferson County had 10,535 employed residents and 829 seeking work in November. The Jefferson County labor force grew by 69 workers, from 11,295 to 11,364, over the month.
Employment Security considers a person unemployed if he or she is available for work and has sought work in the past month.
King County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate in November at 3.9 percent, followed by Snohomish (4.2 percent), Whitman (4.2 percent) and San Juan (4.7 percent) counties.
Ferry County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 10.3 percent, followed by Wahkiakum (9.0 percent), Grays Harbor (8.4 percent), Pacific (8.3 percent) and Yakima (8.3 percent) counties.
Unemployment rates at the county level are not seasonally adjusted because the sample size is too small to accommodate the additional analysis, Employment Security officials have said.
The state added 4,700 private sector jobs and lost 1,100 government jobs in November for a net gain of 3,600 positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For the year, Washington employers added 95,100 jobs — 81,500 in the private sector and 13,600 in the public sector — between November 2015 and November 2016.
In November 2015, the Clallam County unemployment rate was 7.7 percent and the Jefferson County unemployment rate was 6.7 percent, Employment Security said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
