Whitman jobless rate third lowest in state

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their monthly unemployment data last Wednesday, reporting the state unemployment rate dropped from 5.5 percent to 5.4 percent, while the national average increased from 5.4 to 5.5 percent.

The slight decrease for Washington may seem small, but it accounts for an additional 2,000 people now being employed statewide.

"The number of unemployed people fell by 5,500 in May 2015 compared to April 2015," the report from the BLS read.

"At the same time, the number of employed people rose by an estimated 7,700.

Overall, this amounted to an increase of 2,200 people in the labor force." BLS followed their state release with the county figures on Tuesday.

On a county level, Whitman County continues to be below the state and national averages with the lowest unemployment rate in eastern Washington and the overall third lowest rate in the state at 4.4 percent, only behind King and Snohomish counties at 3.7 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively.

Neighboring counties fall above the state average, with Spokane (6.3), Lincoln (5.6), Adams (5.7), Garfield (6.1), Columbia (6.4) Walla Walla (5.6) and Franklin (7.2) all above the state average, and only Asotin (4.8) being below the average.

With the state average now at 5.4 percent, Washington is now boasting the lowest unemployment rate since August 2008, when it stood at 5.6 percent.

The state peaked in February 2010 – the end of the employment recession in Washington – at 10.2 percent, after having been at 4.6 percent in February 2009, when the employment recession began.

State employment data will be released again on July 15, followed by county numbers on July 21.