Lewis County’s unemployment rate is continuing to rise, reaching 7.8% in February, up from 7.1% in January and 6.3% in December.
The rate remains one of the highest per-county rates in Southwest Washington and is significantly higher than the state unemployment rate of 4.7%, according to data released by the Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state’s unemployment rate, up from 4.6% in January, is the highest rate Washington has had since a spike caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to reporting by the Bellingham Herald.
Per-county unemployment rates increased across Southwest Washington in February.
Across Southwest Washington, Thurston County reported a 6.1% unemployment rate in February, up from 5.1% in January; Skamania County saw a rate of 7.1%, up from 6.5%; Pierce County reported a 6.8% rate, up from 6%; and Cowlitz County saw a 6.8% rate, up from 6.4%. Counties on Southwest Washington’s coast saw higher unemployment rates in February, with Grays Harbor County at 8.8%, Pacific County at 8.4% and Wahkiakum County at 9.4%.
Despite rising unemployment, Washington’s economy increased by an estimated 2,600 jobs in February, according to data released by the Employment Security Department.
This comes after Washington’s economy lost 3,600 nonfarm jobs in January, according to data released by the Employment Security Department.
The U.S. as a whole added 275,000 jobs in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
