Although the county’s unemployment rate was marginally lower, no new jobs were created last month, the data show. In fact, the county shed 700 jobs in September, regional economist Jim Vleming said.
Education added 300 jobs because of the start of the school year, but after that, many industry sectors showed job losses, such as construction, leisure and hospitality, and retail trade.
The outlook for the Thurston County job market remains unclear because consumer confidence “isn’t all that great,” and cuts at the state level are still being discussed, Vleming said.
“I think we’re going to be treading water until springtime,” he said about the next likely period of job growth. For some, more job losses last month was not welcome news.
Rashell Jenkins, 24, of Lacey, has been looking for full-time work since she received a bachelor’s degree in political science in July, she said Tuesday at the Thurston County WorkSource Office in Tumwater.
She has since applied for about 300 jobs and only recently received two interviews, Jenkins said. She began her job search looking for public policy work – something along the lines of her college degree – but now has expanded her search to include administrative assistant work, Jenkins said. Because she is a single mother, she qualifies for a state program that provides medical benefits, food and a little cash to cover job search-related expenses, such as gasoline for her car. She lives with her parents, Jenkins said.
Her assessment of the economy is that it’s kind of stagnant, neither good nor bad, she said.
“Everything is kind of on hold,” Jenkins said.
Still, some employers announced good news Tuesday.
About 70 of 100 people who were affected by layoff announcements at Providence Health & Services, Southwest Washington, at the end of August, have since found work, said Susan Meenk, vice president of human resources for Southwest Washington. Providence Health & Services, Southwest Washington, is the parent organization to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
Some have found work within the organization, some have found work with other Providence divisions, and some have found work with other medical organizations, she said.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403 rboone@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/bizblog
