Peninsula jobless rate now in double digits
By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
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Clallam County unemployment rose from a revised 9.8 percent in April to 10.4 percent in May.
Jefferson County unemployment went from 9.5 percent to 10 percent over the month.
“It’s the same strange phenomenon,” said Elizabeth Court, regional economist with Employment Security. “We gained jobs, but unemployment went up.
“That is because more discouraged workers are coming back and looking for work again.”
The Clallam County labor force grew by 330 residents — from 28,870 to 29,200 — from April to May, with 3,050 job-seekers in the county.
Jefferson County’s labor force grew by 120 people — from 12,140 to 12,260 — with 1,230 people looking for a job.
Unemployment rates don’t count the people who have stopped trying to find work.
Clallam County’s economy bucked trend that month with 140 new government jobs added.
“We’re not exactly sure what jobs they’re in, just government in total,” Court said.
“Sometimes we see seasonal work in the summer.”
Clallam County added 90 new jobs in transportation, trade and utilities, and 70 new jobs in goods producing, which includes construction trades.
Manufacturing was the only sector in Clallam County to shed jobs, with 30 lost in May.
While the government sectors stayed flat in Jefferson County, the private sector added 120 new jobs “across every section in goods producing, construction, trades, transportation and utilities and information,” Court said.
The Peninsula’s unemployment picture was similar one year ago, when Clallam County had a 10.3 percent jobless rate and Jefferson County unemployment was 9.8 percent.
The state unemployment rate climbed from 8.2 to 8.3 percent last month despite a gain of 11,700 jobs.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that the private sector added 14,300 jobs over the month and the public sector lost 2,600 jobs.
The national unemployment rate went from 8.1 to 8.2 percent in May.
Unemployment rates at the county level are not seasonally adjusted because the sample size is too small to accommodate that additional analysis, Employment Security officials said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: June 19. 2012 6:07PM
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