At 6.3 percent, Washington state’s unemployment rate remained steady during the month of February, according to a report from the Employment Security Department.
Year-over-year, the report estimates employment increased by 94,700 jobs on a not-seasonally-adjusted basis, with 83,400 new jobs in the private sector and 11,300 new jobs in the public sector.
“The continued expansion of the labor market shows that job seekers are more and more optimistic about the possibility of finding a job,” said Paul Turek, state labor economist. “From year to year, Washington continues to enjoy steady job growth.”
The top five industry sectors with the largest employment gains from February 2014 to February 2015 were:
- Construction (+17,900)
- Professional and business services (+14,300)
- Retail trade (+12,800)
- Government (+11,300)
- Education and health services (+9,900)
On a smaller scale, between January and February of this year, the top five industries in terms of increased employment were:
- Manufacturing (+2,400)
- Leisure and hospitality (+1,300)
- Wholesale trade (+800)
- Construction (+600)
- Transportation, warehousing and utilities (+100)
Retail trade suffered the greatest number of job losses with 1,300, followed by losses of 900 in education and health services and 800 in professional and business services.
