Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 8.3 percent in March to an estimated 8-point-1 percent in April, despite losing an estimated 300 jobs during the same period.
According to the state Employment Security Department, the mixed results are derived from separate surveys – the survey that’s used to calculate the unemployment rate showed job gains, while the survey that’s used to calculate job numbers showed a loss. Agency officials say they expect the numbers to be revised, as has happened the last few months.
Still, April’s estimated unemployment rate is the lowest since January 2009, when it was 7.7 percent.
Industry sectors that added the most jobs in April were manufacturing; other services; and professional and business services. Industry sectors that lost the most jobs in April included government; transportation, warehousing and utilities; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality.
Based on the latest quarterly benchmarking through December 2011, the state has regained an estimated 88,000 jobs since the low point of the recession. In April, an estimated 285,800 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work, and Employment Security paid $256 million in unemployment benefits to more than 184,000 people. (ESD)
