Spokane County's unemployment rate increased to 8.4 percent in November despite an increase in jobs.

Employment Security Division statistics released this morning showed statewide employment was almost flat, as the unemployment rate remained at a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.2 percent.

In Spokane County, where figures are not seasonally adjusted, 224,590 workers had jobs, up about 3,500 from October, when the unemployment rate was 8.1 percent.

But the labor force increased by almost 5,000 between October and November.

The unemployment rate was also 8.4 percent in November 2009, when 220,480 had jobs.

The national unemployment rate for November was 9.8 percent.

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