Unemployment increased in the North Olympic Peninsula in January, as it did statewide, with Clallam County at 11.4 percent — a 1.5 percent rise from December — and Jefferson County at 10.6 percent — a 1.7 percent increase.
Statewide, an estimated 12,400 jobs were added in January, the first monthly gain in employment since November 2008.
Even so, the state unemployment rate increased slightly to an estimated 9.3 percent from December’s revised rate of 9.2 percent, according to preliminary data released by the state Employment Security Department on Tuesday.
“It’s encouraging to see jobs finally coming back,” Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee said in an e-mailed statement.
“I hope it signals the beginning of a job-full recovery, not a job-less recovery.”
Clallam County’s December jobless rate originally was reported at 10.1 percent, but was revised to 9.9. percent.
January’s increase means that an additional 480 — a total of 3,480 — were out of work.
Jefferson County’s December rate originally was reported as 8.8 percent, but was revised to 8.9.
January’s increase means that an additional 230 people — a total of 1,390 — were unemployed.
A year ago, the unemployment rate was 10.0 percent in Clallam County and 9.1 percent in Jefferson County.
Statewide, December’s unemployment rate was originally reported as 9.5 percent, but it was later revised down to 9.2 percent.
The highest rate in the state since the mid-1970s was in November 1982, when unemployment hit 12.2 percent.
