WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

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When the Great Recession hit its nadir back in the winter of 2010, economists with their eyes on the big picture predicted that Washington state would lead the nation in climbing out of the 10+ percent unemployment trough.

It took a while, but within two years statewide jobless rates had fallen below the national figure, and they’ve remained there ever since. The latest monthly report from the Employment Security Department (ESD) continues that trend, with unemployment for August staying at the 5.6 percent level from the previous month – a half percent below the U.S. rate of 6.1 percent.

As it has since February 2011, employment in the greater Seattle market has outpaced both the national and statewide rates, with joblessness remaining below five percent for the third month in a row.

Granted, statistics won’t put food on the table if you’re among the one in 20 employable workers who remains jobless. But strong gains in many categories, especially manufacturing, are a hopeful sign, prompting one ESD economist to tell NPR reporter Tom Banse that 2014 is “shaping up to be the best statewide since 2005.”