Although unemployment rates inched up in the North Olympic Peninsula, the number of jobs in both Clallam and Jefferson counties increased from January to February, an Employment Security Department economist said.
Clallam County’s jobless rate rose to 11.7 percent from a revised estimate of 11.4 in January — a rate that was the highest reported since February 1994, when it peaked at 12.3 percent.
It also gained 200 jobs, said Elizabeth Scott, regional labor economist with the state Employment Security Department, on Tuesday.
Jefferson County’s rate rose to 10.8, from a revised estimate of 10.5 in January and of 8.9 percent in December.
It gained 40 jobs, Scott said.
The reason for the difference between unemployment and job creation estimates is that the jobs counted are in the county, while the unemployment statistics are of those who live in the county but might work elsewhere, Scott said.
And, in what Scott described as a slow recovery from the longest recession the nation has suffered since World War II, unemployment may be the last economic indicator to turn around.
Lagging indicator
“Unemployment is a lagging indicator of a recovery from recession,” Scott said.
“You’ll see the market go down first, and inventories go down, and then they’ll start coming back up.
“Unemployment is one of the final things to see improvement.”
The state unemployment rate increased to 9.5 percent in February, rising from an estimated 9.3 percent in January, when the state saw its first job gains in more than a year.
The state lost about 8,300 jobs in February from January.
“We took a couple steps forward in January and one step back in February,” Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee said in a prepared statement.
“The path into the recession was steep, but as we’re seeing, the climb back out will be more gradual.”
Numbers out of work
An estimated 3,550 Clallam County residents were out of work in February in a total work force of 30,430 people.
That compares with 3,480 without jobs in January out of a work force of 30,600. About 3,000 were out of work in December.
But jobs increased from January to February, Scott said.
The manufacturing sector saw an additional 30 jobs. There were 60 new jobs in natural resources and construction.
“One thing that was pretty big in Clallam County, there were about 110 new government jobs,” Scott said.
She could provide no details about where the jobs, especially the government jobs, were.
Some sectors lost jobs in February that existed in January.
There were 30 jobs lost in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, and another 30 retail jobs disappeared.
In the past year, from February 2009 to last month, about 300 jobs were lost in Clallam County, Scott said.
“So, overall, you’re definitely seeing a slowing job loss,” she said.
Jefferson County
In Jefferson County, an estimated 1,400, of a labor force of 13,040, were out of work in February.
That compares with 1,390, of a work force of 13,120, who were out of work in January. About 1,160 were out of work in December.
Overall, 40 jobs were added, 20 being government jobs and 20 in the private sector, Scott said.
Job losses from January to February in Jefferson County were primarily in the transportation, trade and utilities sector, she said.
“The big story with Jefferson County is that things are just basically flat,” Scott said.
Some sectors, such as construction and information and financial services, suffered no job losses while showing no real gains.
That is an improvement, Scott feels, citing the construction sector as an example: Over the past year — from February ’09 to last month — 60 construction jobs disappeared.
“If you look at February ’09 compared to February ’10 — one year — there were many jobs lost in both counties, but the decrease has slowed from January to February,” Scott said.
Since the post-war period, there have been 10 other recessions, the longest lasting 16 months,” Scott said.
“This recession will top that 16 months.
“To really identify when the moment is when things start getting better can only be done in hindsight, but the numbers do show a slow job recovery beginning to occur.”
However, it will take years, Scott said, adding that it will be “2011, 2012, 2013 before things get back up to the type of solid employment numbers we saw previously. . . . But people are predicting steady, slow growth.”
Last month’s unemployment rate was the state’s highest since 1984, officials said. Initially, December’s rate was listed at 9.5 percent, but it was later revised down to 9.2 percent.
Statewide
State unemployment hit 12.2 percent in November 1982.
More than 365,600 people were unemployed and looking for work last month, and more than 292,000 people received unemployment benefits.
Washington’s unemployment rate has remained above 9 percent for seven consecutive months, and the state had 91,700 fewer jobs last month than in February 2009, a 3.2 percent decrease.
In February 2009, the state’s unemployment rate was 8.1 percent.
Nationally, employment declined by 2.5 percent during the past year. The national unemployment rate for February was 9.7 percent.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
