Pierce, Thurston unemployment rates hold steady

Pierce and Thurston county employers added enough jobs in October to keep up with more people joining the workforce, keeping the counties’ unemployment rates virtually the same as in September, state data release Tuesday show.

In Pierce County, about 5,300 more people joined the labor force last month, but the unemployment rate held at 5.7 percent, according to the state Employment Security Department. Thurston County’s unemployment rate dropped a smidge, from 5.4 percent in September to 5.3 percent in October.

The statewide unemployment rate in October was 5 percent — the same as the national rate.

From month to month, Pierce County added jobs in categories of retail trade; trade, transportation and utilities; and education. Thurston added state and local government jobs. Year over year, both Pierce and Thurston have seen a 4.3 percent increase in nonfarm employment.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Pierce, Thurston unemployment rates hold steady."