Clark County’s 50 largest employers lost 60 percent more jobs than they gained from April 25, 2008, to March 6, 2009, according to VBJ research.
Responses to the VBJ’s annual Largest Employers survey showed government as the local sector with the most job losses, down 265 jobs compared to a year ago, followed by manufacturing with 244 losses, retail and auto sales with 236 losses and technology with 117 losses.
The 50 largest employers cut a total of 1,524 jobs.
The individual employers with the most job cuts were Clark County, down 241; Fred Meyer Stores, down 138; and The Columbian Publishing Co., down 114.
On the flip side, 609 jobs were added by employers in the survey.
The health care industry had the most local gains, up 125 positions from a year ago. Higher education followed with 104 new jobs and public schools gained 47 new jobs.
Employers with the biggest job increases were the Evergreen School District, up 148; Wells Fargo and Co., up 102; and Clark College, up 73.
Meanwhile, Clark County’s jobless rate hit 12.5 percent in March, double the rate from a year ago, with more than 27,240 residents looking for work. Cowlitz County’s unemployment rate was 15 percent in March, more than twice the rate it was last year, according to Regional Economist Scott Bailey.
Outside of seasonal rehires, public education was the only sector in Clark County with substantial increases, adding 300 jobs.
Across Washington state, there were 20,000 job losses in March with 9.2 percent of workers unemployed, compared to 5.1 percent at the same time last year.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate for the month hit 8.5 percent, up 3.4 points from March 2008.
— Charity Thompson
