Washington state added 12,400 jobs in October and the state’s seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate for October was 4.3 percent according to the Employment Security Department.
The October unemployment rate decreased slightly from the September 2018 unemployment rate of 4.4 percent, which establishes a new historical low point for the state, it was announced Wednesday.
“The state’s labor market is continuing to tighten,” said Paul Turek, economist for the department.
County-by-county breakdowns will be available next week.
The state U-6 unemployment rate, a broader measure of joblessness, also fell in October to a new series low.
The Employment Security Department released the preliminary job estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The department also announced that September’s previously reported unemployment rate of 4.4 was confirmed. However, September’s preliminary estimated gain of 4,500 jobs was revised upward to a gain of 8,300 jobs.
The national unemployment rate remained constant at 3.7 percent in October. In October 2017, the national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.
Employment Security paid unemployment insurance benefits to 44,828 people in October.
