The Associated Press
OLYMPIA — Washington state’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.2 percent for the second month in a row.
The latest report Wednesday from the state’s Employment Security Department shows that Washington state saw an overall gain of 6,900 new jobs in October.
The state’s private sector grew by 9,800 jobs but the public sector lost 2,900 jobs.
The jobless rate in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett region of Western Washington rose slightly to 3.8 percent in October, from 3.6 percent in September.
Unemployment statistics for Clallam and Jefferson County are expected to be released Tuesday.
The national unemployment dropped slightly to 5 percent, from 5.1 percent last month.
The latest report from Washington estimates the state gained 85,800 jobs in the past year on a not seasonally adjusted basis.
A majority of those jobs were in the private sector.
