Employers add jobs in June, unemployment holds steady - July 18, 2006

06-060

Media contacts: Evelina Tainer, 360-438-4812
Hilary Young, 360-902-9454

Audio: http://fortress.wa.gov/esd/portal/info/newsroom/audiofiles/audio/

OLYMPIA –Washington employers added 3,800 non-farm jobs in June and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.1 percent, the Employment Security Department announced today. 

“Washington continues to have good news for job seekers,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “As our job market continues to expand, there are jobs available for people who want to work.”

Annual non-farm job growth in the state was 3.3 percent, compared to a national rate of 1.4 percent over the year. 

Some 91,700 net new jobs were created in Washington from June 2005 to June 2006. The construction industry continued to lead growth over the year with 19,300 net new jobs, but has slowed recently, adding 100 jobs in June. The aerospace industry has added jobs every month since the Boeing strike in September 2005, adding 500 jobs in June. 

By contrast, retail (minus 300), leisure and hospitality (minus 200) and information (minus 100) all reported job losses over the month. 

“Job growth has slowed to a more sustainable pace over the last couple of months, but that’s to be expected after the near-record growth we saw throughout 2005 and early this year,” said Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee. 

Lee said she encourages the estimated 168,625 unemployed workers in Washington to visit a local WorkSource office and to check online job listings at www.go2worksource.com. 

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