PORT ANGELES — A loss of 230 government jobs contributed to a slight uptick in unemployment in Clallam and Jefferson counties last month.
Clallam County’s jobless rate rose from 9.7 percent in November to 10.1 percent in December, the state Employment Security Department reported Wednesday.
Jefferson County’s unemployment rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point, from 9.1 to 9.2 percent, last month.
Elizabeth Scott, regional economist for Employment Security, said the December numbers were generally “not full of good news” for the North Olympic Peninsula.
Lost jobs
Both counties lost jobs.
Clallam County lost 440 jobs for the month: 240 in the private sector and 200 in the public sector.
Jefferson County lost 40 jobs in private industries and 30 in government.
Private-sector jobs outnumber government jobs by nearly threefold on the North Olympic Peninsula.
“Seeing that loss in government has a really big impact on the numbers,” Scott said.
“Looking at the actual job numbers inside both counties, we saw a decrease in jobs.
“But across the state, there was an improvement.”
Jobs up statewide
Statewide, 2,100 jobs were added, though the labor force shrank by 10,600 for a slight rise in the unemployment rate, from 9.2 percent to 9.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate fell from 9.8 percent to 9.4 percent in December.
Scott attributed discrepancies in unemployment to the pace of the economic recovery.
“Growth can be uneven,” she said.
“The numbers are never really even.”
One year ago, unemployment was 9.9 percent in Clallam County and 8.9 percent in Jefferson County.
Labor force shrinks
The labor force shrank in both counties from November to December.
Clallam County’s work force fell from 30,680 to 29,980 last month, when 3,040 county residents were looking for work.
Jefferson County had 1,190 unemployed in December — the same as November — but the work force fell from 13,170 to 12,970.
Unemployment figures don’t count the people who have stopped looking for work.
Areas of gains
One bright spot for Clallam County was a gain of 20 manufacturing jobs and 10 in wholesale.
Jefferson County gained 10 manufacturing jobs and 10 more in trade, transportation and utilities.
“That’s good because those jobs mean other jobs are soon to follow,” Scott said.
“People are starting to build something and make things.”
Clallam County lost 40 retail trade jobs last month. A breakdown for retail jobs in Jefferson County was not available in the report.
First-time unemployment claims in Clallam County rose from 748 to 893 in December, the highest level since December 2009.
Continued unemployment claims rose from 1,305 to 1,390 in the county, the most since March 2010.
In Jefferson County, first-time unemployment claims rose from 207 to 248 last month, also the highest it’s been since December 2009.
Continued unemployment claims in Jefferson County rose from 408 to 441 in December, the highest level since May.
Slow rebound
Despite the sluggish job recovery, Scott said positive economic indicators — and growth in the private sector — suggest a slow rebound.
“There are signs of commerce going on all around us,” Scott said.
State officials said Washington’s economy added about 8,000 jobs during 2010. That balances stronger private-sector job growth against losses in government jobs.
Ferry County in Northeast Washington had the highest unemployment rate in the state last month at 13.9 percent.
Whitman County, home of Washington State University, had the lowest at 5.0 percent.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
