Published January
2003
County
jobless rate inches lower; key sectors continue to shed workers
SCBJ
Staff
Unemployment fell
slightly in November in Snohomish County and statewide, thanks to retailers
who took on more help for the holiday, state officials reported.
But they said key
sectors of the economy remain in trouble, and the slight changes are not
a sign of economic recovery.
In Snohomish County,
unemployment dropped from an adjusted 7.1 percent in October to 7 percent
in November. Island County fared better, dropping to 5.5 percent in November
from 5.9 percent the previous month.
Statewide, when adjusted
for seasonal changes, unemployment dropped three percentage points to
6 percent in November.
Donna Thompson, Snohomish
County labor economist for employment security, said job increases in
stores and in local schools “helped brighten an otherwise lackluster economy.”
General merchandise
stores in the county added 300 workers, while clothing stores added another
200. Snohomish County schools added 300 jobs, and the insurance sector
here added another 100.
Construction dropped
by 500 jobs, and local governments trimmed payrolls by 100 people, Thompson
said.
She noted that the
number of unemployed people fell by 500 in November, leaving some 23,700
people who are still receiving unemployment checks.
In Snohomish County,
the work force is estimated at 340,200 people, with 316,500 still on the
job.
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