The North Olympic Peninsula shed 120 government jobs and gained 90 private sector jobs last month as the unemployment rates inched up in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Clallam County’s new jobless rate was 10 percent — up from a revised 9.5 percent in July, the state Employment Security department reported Tuesday.
Jefferson County’s unemployment rate rose from 8.9 percent in July to 9.3 percent in August.
August’s unemployment rates of 10 percent in Clallam and 9.3 in Jefferson were exactly the same as the county rates recorded in August 2010.
“The big news is government sectors all over the state, including Clallam County, are shedding workers because of tighter budgets,” said Elizabeth Scott, labor economist for Employment Security’s Olympic Consortium.
Although the source of the government job losses was not listed in the monthly labor report, Scott said the cuts to government positions have tended to be state jobs.
Facing tighter budgets
State and local governments are “facing tighter budgets across the board,” Scott said.
Clallam County lost 160 government jobs in August, but gained 50 in the private sector for a net loss of 110 jobs.
Manufacturing showed the strongest gains in Clallam County with 40 positions added.
Jefferson County bucked the state trend with 40 new government jobs to go along with 40 private sector jobs.
Goods producing, which covers manufacturing and natural resources and mining, led the Jefferson County gains with 50 new jobs.
The unemployment rates went up because the labor force grew by 610 in Clallam County and 350 in Jefferson County.
Clallam County had 2,980 unemployed citizens from workforce of 29,710.
Jefferson County had 1,200 unemployed out of a 12,990-member labor force, Employment Security said.
Unemployment rates don’t count the people who have stopped looking for jobs.
State unemployment
Meanwhile, the state added 3,800 jobs in August — the twelfth-straight month of job growth — but saw its unemployment rate hold at 9.3 percent, the same rate as in June and July.
Washington’s private sector gained 4,200 jobs in August while the public sector lost 400 jobs.
The state unemployment rate was 9.4 percent in August 2010.
Ferry County in Eastern Washington had the highest unemployment at 13.5 percent.
Grays Harbor County was second worst at 13.1 percent.
San Juan County had the lowest unemployment of the 39 counties at 5.7 percent.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
