Washington unemployment falls to 8.5 percent in December

Rolf Boone/The Business Blog • Published January 20, 2012 Modified January 20, 2012

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Washington's unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent in December from 8.7 percent in November even as the state shed more than 10,000 jobs in the period, according to the state Employment Security Department.

Greg Weeks, who heads the labor market information office at the state Employment Security Department, said a one-month snapshot of jobless data does not tell the whole story.

"If you look at the trend over time, jobs are gradually increasing and the unemployment rate is coming down," Weeks said.

December's jobless rate was the lowest since February 2009.

Industries that shed jobs in the November-to-December period, included professional and business services, down 4,300; retail trade, down 3,500; and leisure and hospitality fell by 3,200 jobs. Industries that added jobs were education and health services, up 2,200 jobs, and manufacturing, up 2,100 jobs, the data show.

Unemployment rates for Thurston and Pierce County are expected to be released next week. Thurston had a jobless rate of 7.5 percent in November and Pierce's was 8.8 percent.

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