Despite holiday hiring, Jefferson County’s unemployment rate rose in November to 4.5 percent, from 3.9 percent the month before.
But last month’s figure was still below the November 2003 rate of 5.6 percent, according to the state Employment Security Department.
Clallam County joblessness also rose in November, to 5.2 percent from October’s 4.7 percent. But it, too, is significantly below November 2003’s rate of 6.9 percent.
Washington’s overall unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point, to 5.7 percent, last month.
The state’s latest seasonally adjusted jobless rate is a bit higher than the national average of 5.4 percent, which dropped a tenth of a percentage point from the previous month.