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Jobless rate drops for second straight month

6/15/2010

10-027

Media contact: Jamie Swift, communications manager, 360-902-0904

OLYMPIA – Washington’s unemployment rate fell to 9.1 percent in May, the lowest level since the same month a year ago. The state economy also picked up an estimated 8,600 jobs in May, the bulk of which were federal Census jobs. With the May job gains, Washington has added jobs in four of the first five months of 2010, for a net gain of 25,800 so far this year.

“It’s refreshing to talk about job growth and a falling unemployment rate,” said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee. “The momentum seems to be shifting in the right direction.”

In April, the unemployment rate decreased for the first time since March 2007. The rate went from 9.5 percent to 9.3 percent (earlier reported as 9.2 percent, but revised after more analysis).

Industries that added jobs in May were government, with a net gain of 8,400 (including 9,000 census jobs); construction, up 800; professional and business services, up 800; retail trade, up 600; other services, up 500; wholesale trade, up 100; and education and health services, up 100.

Jobs were lost in financial activities, down 1,100; manufacturing, down 600; leisure and hospitality, down 400; transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 400; and information, down 200.

Year over year, Washington had 27,000 fewer jobs last month than in May 2009, a 1 percent decrease.  Nationally, employment declined by 0.4 percent over the past year.

An estimated 310,069 people (not seasonally adjusted) in Washington were unemployed and looking for work, and more than 265,000 people received unemployment benefits from Washington in May.

Employment Security is a partner in the statewide WorkSource system, which offers a variety of employment and training services for job seekers, including free help with interviewing skills, résumés, and job referrals. 

WorkSource also can help employers recruit and screen for qualified workers and provide information about federal tax breaks for hiring eligible unemployed workers. 

Locations of local WorkSource offices are listed online at www.go2worksource.com.  Assistance also is available by phone at 877-872-5627.

In addition, more than 21,000 job openings are posted online at www.go2worksource.com.

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Broadcast version

Washington’s unemployment rate fell in May for the second straight month – to nine-point-one percent. This was a decrease from the revised rate of nine-point-three percent in April.

The decline in the unemployment rate was helped by the addition of 86-hundred jobs in May.

Washington has now added jobs in four of the first five months of 2010.

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