Lewis County has extended its longest stretch of single-digit unemployment in recent memory, but it just can’t seem to shake the perennial stigma of having one of the worst jobless rates in the state.
According to figures released Tuesday by the Washington State Department of Employment Security, Lewis County maintained an 8.5 percent unemployment rate in August. That number is up a half-percent from a revised figure of 8 percent in both June and July and reflects a slight decrease in nonfarm industry employment in the region.
Employment Security reported Tuesday that the total labor force in Lewis County, which is the number of people eligible for work, stands at 28,450 — up 120 from August 2013 and up 640 from July. The total number of people employed went up from 25,600 in July to 26,040 in August, with the number of people reported as unemployed falling drastically from 3,010 in August 2013 to 2,410 last month — a drop of 19.9 percent.
Employment Security, in a breakdown of job sectors on its website, showed another big gain in construction, with 1,020 people employed in that field in August as opposed to 920 one year ago. The 10.9 percent gain in construction jobs is the second-highest of any job sector in the state’s report for Lewis County; the title for biggest gain went to leisure and hospitality, which gained 13.7 percent and added 320 jobs over the year, with 50 jobs added from July to August for a total of 2,650.
Government held steady with a 3.2 percent gain, employing 4,580 people total in Lewis County; other sectors reporting steady numbers were service providing, goods producing and manufacturing. In fact, manufacturing jobs increased 5.2 percent year to year, with 3,240 people employed in that field as of August.
Heavy losses were reported in two industrial sectors: transportation and warehousing, which lost 20.7 percent over the year from 1,350 jobs last August to 1,070 last month; and natural resources and mining, which fell 17.9 percent from 670 jobs last year to 550.
Overall, nonfarm employment rose 2.2 percent, with the private sector reporting a 2 percent increase year to year.
Lewis County has maintained a single-digit jobless rate since April, when the county dropped from 10.6 unemployment to 8.9. However, other counties making similar gains in employment ensured Lewis County remains with relatively high unemployment compared to the rest of the state. Grays Harbor County maintains the state’s worst jobless rate at 8.6 percent, with Ferry County just below Lewis at 8.2.
By comparison, Thurston County reports a 5.5 jobless rate, with the state at 5.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted scale.
