State unemployment rate unchanged at 7.5 percent
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington gained 4,000 jobs in February and unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.5 percent, new numbers released Wednesday show.
Economists with the state Employment Security Department said that overall, the state has added about 65,000 jobs over the past year, regaining about 70 percent of the more than 200,000 jobs lost during the recession.
"February was relatively uneventful," department economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman said in a prepared news release. "The job growth was close to the monthly average for the past year, with no big surprises."
The unemployment rate in Washington state in February 2012 was 8.4 percent.
Industries that saw the most growth included education and health services, up 3,000 jobs, manufacturing, up 2,900 and professional and business services, which gained 1,200 jobs.
Construction saw a loss of 3,600 jobs, leisure and hospitality, was down 1,100 and transportation, warehousing and utilities lost 400.
Earlier this month, state economists reported that new numbers showed the state gained 24,100 jobs for the month of January, a number they expected would later be revised down. But Wednesday's report revised that number up to 24,200 jobs.
The national unemployment rate for February was 7.7 percent.
An estimated 259,100 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work in February, including nearly 140,000 who claimed unemployment benefits.
More than 3,300 unemployed workers ran out of unemployment benefits last month. A total of 132,165 people have exhausted their benefits since extended benefits were activated in July 2008.
Economists with the state Employment Security Department said that overall, the state has added about 65,000 jobs over the past year, regaining about 70 percent of the more than 200,000 jobs lost during the recession.
"February was relatively uneventful," department economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman said in a prepared news release. "The job growth was close to the monthly average for the past year, with no big surprises."
The unemployment rate in Washington state in February 2012 was 8.4 percent.
Industries that saw the most growth included education and health services, up 3,000 jobs, manufacturing, up 2,900 and professional and business services, which gained 1,200 jobs.
Construction saw a loss of 3,600 jobs, leisure and hospitality, was down 1,100 and transportation, warehousing and utilities lost 400.
Earlier this month, state economists reported that new numbers showed the state gained 24,100 jobs for the month of January, a number they expected would later be revised down. But Wednesday's report revised that number up to 24,200 jobs.
The national unemployment rate for February was 7.7 percent.
An estimated 259,100 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work in February, including nearly 140,000 who claimed unemployment benefits.
More than 3,300 unemployed workers ran out of unemployment benefits last month. A total of 132,165 people have exhausted their benefits since extended benefits were activated in July 2008.
AM I READING THIS ARTICLE WRONG OR.......................
quote ="Economists with the state Employment Security Department said that overall, the state has added about 65,000 jobs over the past year, regaining about 70 percent of the more than 200,000 jobs lost during the recession."
BTWÂ Ms. La Corte = 65,000 IS NOT 70% of 200,000. It is ABOUT 32%.
"An estimated 259,100 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work in February, including nearly 140,000 who claimed unemployment benefits."
BTWÂ Ms. La Corte = You reflected in the first quote above that 200,000 jobs were lost during the recession. Therefore, if 259,100 people are NOW looking for work (as it was quoted in your second quoted above) then things AREN'T SO "Obama" rosy are they. Looks like more people are looking for work now than during the recession.
TO ME THIS IS ONLY A PROPAGANDA ARTICLE TO USE SMOKESCREENS AS DIRECTED BY OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION............ FACT!
*** I highly suggest Ms. La Corte (writer of this article) that you ALWAYS have a simple calculator handy when you are required to write about statistics that are handed down from our current administration.
7.5% is a joke of a number. Shadow stats has the national rate around 23%, its been within 1% of that since mid 2009. This depression isn't ending anytime soon.Â
The REAL unemployment rate is counted as "every able bodied person who CAN work but ISN'T."
Another disturbing news and report, Â please read the Bureau of Labor Statistic number for Washington State. Â Total employment in Washington State 2,720,660. Â Total unemployed according from this report 259,100 + exhausted unemployment benefit 132,165 = 391,265 actual unemployed. Â Real unemployment of non-working to working is 391,265 divided by 2,720,660 x 100% = 14.38% not the democrats bogus number. Â Let's calculate this another way by stating all the unemployed and employed as the total work force = 391,265 + 2,720,660 = 3,111,925 total work force. Â Unemployed without jobs as of percentage of all able body workers = 391,265 divided by 3,111,925 x 100% = 12.57%. Â Please read go to the BLS gov website and look up the actual number of employed personnel. Â Please go to US census and get real pop growth. The projected job growth in Washington State is only 0.9% and the population growth is 1.2%, ...that means there is an increase of 0.3% in the unemployed population every year. Â How did they get this figment of imagination called low unemployment rate? Â Obamanomics?
@NWDemocrat You really believe this is the democrats statistic? In what way has Obama changed the BLS methods and standards in the last 4 years? Â
What does the real unemployment picture look like in USA by reviewing the total labor force and U-6 number. Â Total US Labor Force 143.6 million and Actual Unemployed U-6 22.3 million. Â 22.3 million divided by 143.6 million x 100% = 15.5% real unemployment rate. Â Source of information Bureau of Labor Statistics. Â President Obama's policies have created less real job, because there are less people employed paying taxes (IRS), but have low unemployment. Â Do you want a JOB or do you want President Obama and Liberal Democrat's Low Unemployment Rate? Â A job pays taxes, pays mortgage, put food on the table and cloth children, Â Low Unemployment Rate is a figment of imagination a calculated value based on propaganda, it provided no salary, no food, no shelter and no cloth for children. Â Welcome to Obamanomics!
Welcome to Obama world, where numbers above seven percent are considered a success
This comes up every time the unemployment rates appear. People who have exhausted their unemployment benefits DO count towards the unemployment rate if they are still looking for a job. People who have given up looking do not.
@therunner No they don't. If you aren't drawing benefits, you aren't counted. How are they going to know if you are still looking? Are they psychic? Â
@Dredd57 They ask people. It says so in the report. The number of people drawing unemployment benefits is a different number.
@Dredd57 @therunner NO - that is not correct. The unemployment rate is not calculated that way. Â
Educate yourself on this. Use Google. Go to the BLS website. Something.
7.5%?I don't think so. The actual unemployment rate is ~15% if you count all those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. They are not counted. So too are the countless who are underemployed working crap jobs that pay minimum wage compared to their jobs before the recession for what they went to college for.Â
The free trade agreements pushed by our politiicians (from both sides) along with globalization have been absolutely disastrous for this country. Repeal them all!!!Â
End the outsourcing of US jobs! Don't want to pay taxes do you? Please see your way to the border and get out! Â Make the corporations and super rich pay their fair share. Â The recent US dow jones record high certainly isn't refective of the lower and middle class of America.Â
Low Unemployment rate is not a "JOB", Â first of all it's spelled differently. Â Low Unemployment do not pay a salary, do not pay rent, cannot feed a family or cloth a child. Â Please perform a little math. Â If 200,000 jobs were lost and only 70% were recovered in job creation, then 60,000 people still have not found a job since the economic collapse. Â Census report Washington state has 6,897,012 population with a pop. growth rate 1.2%. Â That means 6,897,000 x 1.2% = 8,268 new 18 yr old entering the work force every year. Â Multiply that by 4 years of economic crisis equal 33,072 new unemployed 18 yrs to 22 yrs old not employed. Â Making the total unemployed closer to 100,000+, because in-addition to the never worked, the number of people losing their unemployment benefits are no longer considered unemployed. Â That's not economic growth or jobs expansion. Â In fact take a look at the total number of people in the work force in USA and the number is lower. Â What recovery, Low Unemployment is not a Job, it's spelled wrong. Â I have never heard of anyone applying for Low Unemployment.
@NWDemocrat "Census report Washington state has 6,897,012 population with a pop. growth rate 1.2%. Â That means 6,897,000 x 1.2% = 8,268 new 18 yr old entering the work force every year."
Does it? Or is that an assumption? Surely demographics would dictate that the labor force utilization would decrease over time due to the aging baby boomers and increased life expectancy in general. How did you incorporate that into your analysis?
"the number of people losing their unemployment benefits are no longer considered unemployed."
 You are incorrect. That is NOT how they calculate the unemployment rate. Educate yourself before attempting to educate others.
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@NWDemocrat Yikes... that made sense!
@Funky-Munky @NWDemocrat Please excuse the grammar and syntax.  Frustration make me write more like stream of thought,  ... than proper English.  You can check my math and accounting, you can check my reading of the definition of unemployment calculation.  Round my numbers up to the nearest thousands and it's fairly accurate.  Sources for information, US Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Agriculture, IRS.
@Funky-Munky @NWDemocrat If you are watching the news, ...Ben Bernanke was asked and affirmed this same point this afternoon.  The actual number of workers employed with a job, being productive tax payers, have dropped over the last 4 years!  ...as the total amount of taxation collected have gone up!  Where is this employment through taxation?  Where are the jobs?  4 yrs is a long experiment in failed statistics, ...just prove "Low Unemployment" is not a "Job",  the spelling is wrong.
@NWDemocrat@Funky-Munky Nope... I wouldn't even begin to disagree with your take on this. I actually liked this "In fact take a look at the total number of people in the work force in USA and the number is lower." sums it up nicely.
Does anybody ever believe any of this garbage?
"Earlier this month, state economists reported that new numbers showed the state gained 24,100 jobs for the month of January, a number they expected would later be revised down. But Wednesday's report revised that number up to 24,200 jobs."
I remember the right wingnuts all sarcastically saying that these numbers were totally cooked and a conspiracy and that they would be revised down. Oops. Â
LOL. Righties...keep wishing for the economy to suffer just to make political points...
@lakeviewYou probably don't understand the difference between underemployment and unemployment and why the former can actually be worse.
@NW-Economist I believe poor is a choice in their eyes....
@lakeview Are you jokin'? Cause inflation is pretty damn high....
 "More than 3,300 unemployed workers ran out of unemployment benefits last month. A total of 132,165 people have exhausted their benefits since extended benefits were activated in July 2008."
Yet the democrats and RINOs in the state house can find money to hand out to ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS for financial aid to attend our schools...
Apparently if you are a citizen you aren't worth helping.Â
@NW-Economist There's some truth in that....
@NW-Economist  And seriously, how much in payroll taxes or federal income tax did you pay for 2012? Is it your money they are handing out, or mine being handed to you?Â
@lakeview I highly doubt you're above the poverty level....
We know this as a true statement NW. : I paid 14k blah blah" so impressive as it's quick wit. Now that's funny!
@lakeview Oh yes, I must complement you on your Avatar in addition.... You can't be all bad....
@NW-Economist He or she is proud of their economic class... let them toot their horn! Myself, I admit broke as a joke... bad joke that's!
@lakeview sassy or was that saucy... well done!
@lakeview @Funky-MunkyOnly an idiot gives out personal information to anonymous people over the internet. The above example proves my point.
@Funky-Munky @lakeview LOL, I paid 14 thousand dollars in property taxes to King Co. for 2012. You do the math genius.Â
@lakeview @NW-EconomistWouldn't you like to know? Â
@NW-Economist @lakeview  You are obviously a 47%. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But it does get old listening to poor conservatives who contribute nothing complain about taxes. Â