POULSBO – The jobless rate was 6.4 percent in Kitsap County in January, the fifth-lowest in Washington state.

King County had the lowest, 5.2 percent, followed by Whitman, 5.5 percent; Asotin, 5.7 percent; and Snohomish, 6 percent.

Kitsap County is one of the smallest counties in the state in terms of land area, at about 395 square miles. It ranks third, however, in the state in terms of population density, or persons per square mile.

According to a state Employment Security Department economist’s report, since 2012 “Kitsap is noting increased economic activity in the form of new businesses, business growth and infrastructure improvements. New manufacturing efforts in the advanced-composites industry are taking hold, and jobs in the private services sector have also started to rebound with some gains seen in retail and finance.”

In January, Kitsap had a civilian labor force of 116,630, of which 109,210 were employed and 7,420 were out of work.  All sectors, with the exception of professional and business services, federal government and local government, saw job gains. The greatest gains were in goods producing, construction, and manufacturing, at 5.6 percent, 5.9 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

The greatest number of jobs were in service-providing — trade, transportation and utilities; retail trade; professional and business services; and leisure and hospitality.