Seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment fell for the second consecutive month to 9.1 percent in May from 9.3 percent in April as the state added an estimated 8,600 jobs, most of which belonged to temporary Census Bureau workers. In Thurston County, the jobless rate last month was 7.7 percent, the same as the previous month, but the county still added jobs in the April-to-May period, the data show.
Leading the way in hiring last month was federal, state and local government with 500 jobs, although 300 of those jobs involved census workers. Other sectors adding jobs were leisure and hospitality with 200 and the construction industry with 100.
“It’s not an enthusiastic response for the time of year,” Employment Security regional economist Jim Vleming said about the pace of construction hiring.
Vleming acknowledged that the weather hasn’t been cooperative for construction starts, although more jobs might be created as other construction projects get under way, such as the Yelm Highway widening project, he said.
Although jobs were created last month, many job sectors still aren’t hiring at the pace they were in May 2009. Construction is down 400 jobs, government is down 300, and hiring in the leisure and hospitality industry is off 100 in the year-over-year May period, Vleming said.
The retail and manufacturing sectors have shown slight gains since May 2009, up 200 and 100 jobs, respectively.
Meanwhile, the search for a new job continues for many at Thurston County WorkSource’s Tumwater offices.
Jeseka Averett, 23, of Tumwater said Tuesday that she has a part-time retail job, but she’s working on her General Educational Development degree and full-time work, likely as a nurse.
“I’m going into nursing because that’s the job that is always open,” she said.
Paul Searle, 27, of Yelm lost his job last month when the business he was working for – one developing “green” technologies for the building industry – filed for bankruptcy protection, he said.
Searle, who has a background in finance and said he held an executive position with his previous employer, described his job search so far as disappointing, largely because so many people are looking for work and, as a result, employers don’t have to pay as much.
More disconcerting, Searle said, is the lack of information and resources provided by the federal government for those who have the skills to start their own business. For example, grant applications can take up to a year to get approved, he said.
Searle said he was worried about the country’s direction. “We’re not creating middle-class jobs; they seem to be deteriorating every day,” he said.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403 rboone@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/bizblog
