Washington state jobless results produce mixed picture in Sept.

Rolf Boone/The Business Blog • Published October 19, 2011 Modified October 19, 2011

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The state's unemployment rate fell to 9.1 percent last month even as the state shed more than 18,000 jobs, according to preliminary data released today by the state Employment Security Department.

Employment Security officials, though, expect that once the September data is revised, it will show that the state didn't lose as many jobs.

"We probably lost some jobs, but not as many as the preliminary data suggest," said Greg Weeks, director of Employment Security's Office of Labor Market & Economic Analysis.

Meanwhile, Washington's jobless rate fell to 9.1 percent from 9.3 percent in August. The state also shed 18,400 jobs last month. Government led the way with 10,800 job losses, followed by leisure and hospitality, construction and information. Each of those sectors shed 1,100 or more jobs. Aerospace added the most jobs last month with 1,000, followed by manufacturing, education and health services.

County jobless data will be released Oct. 25.

In August, Thurston County had a jobless rate of 8.3 percent and Pierce County's unemployment rate was 9.9 percent. The national unemployment rate also was 9.1 percent in September.

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