OLYMPIA — Year-over-year employment growth in Washington was the highest since 1997, according to estimates released Jan. 22 by the state Employment Security Department.
Estimates indicate employment increased by 82,900 jobs from December 2013 to December 2014, on a not seasonally adjusted basis, with 73,400 new jobs in the private sector and 9,500 new jobs in the public sector.
Washington’s unemployment rate for December 2014 was 6.3 percent — up from 6.2 percent in November 2013 but down from 6.7 percent in December 2013.
According to preliminary estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Washington picked up 7,600 new jobs from November to December, on a nonfarm, seasonally adjusted basis, due to 7,500 new private sector jobs and 100 new government jobs.
Unemployment in the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett area dropped from 4.7 percent in November 2014 to a preliminary estimate of 4.6 in December 2014. The national unemployment rate for December was 5.6 percent.
“While Washington’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.3 percent this month, the state had its best year since 1997 when it comes to total employment for Washington,” said Paul Turek, an economist with the Employment Security Department.
“The state gained jobs every month except one in 2014 and experienced increases in 12 of the 13 major industries,” he said.
The top five industry sectors with the largest employment gains from December 2013 to December 2014 were:
• Professional and business services with 14,400 new jobs.
• Construction with 11,800 jobs.
• Retail trade with 11,500 jobs.
• Education and health services with 10,500 new jobs.
• Government with 9,500 new jobs.
Washington’s resident labor force, the total number of people in the workforce, employed and unemployed, ages 16 and older, increased by an estimated 57,000 people from December 2013 to December 2014.
The number of unemployed, the estimated number of people who do not have jobs, are available for work and have actively sought work in the last four weeks, dropped by 9,700 from 230,200 in December 2013 to 220,500 in December 2014. That includes 81,977 who received unemployment benefits in December.
