Spokane County jobless rate steady

OLYMPIA — The unemployment rate for Spokane County remained at 6.2 percent in June, essentially unchanged from May and nearly a full percentage point above the statewide average, state officials said today. The hottest labor market in the state continued to be King County, where unemployment has fallen to 4 percent. Snohomish County isn’t far behind with 4.3 percent unemployment. Ferry County has the highest jobless rate at 9.6 percent. Over the last year, the state has seen significant gains in the number of jobs in construction, retail trade, professional services, government and hospitality services.