Washington unemployment rate remains unchanged in September

The state’s 4.6% unemployment rate in September remained unchanged from August, according to seasonally adjusted data from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Private sector employment in the state increased by 3,800 jobs while the public sector decreased by 6,900 jobs in September, according to preliminary estimates from the department.

The largest private job growth – 1,900 jobs – occurred in retail trade, followed by 1,000 jobs in wholesale trade and 900 jobs in the financial activities sector. The government sector posted the largest employment decline of 6,900 jobs in September. Mining and logging was the only industry sector that remained unchanged last month.

The national unemployment rate dropped slightly to 3.5% in September, compared to 3.7% in September 2018.

The state’s labor force increased by 11,900 people in September, compared with the previous month. The labor force is the total number of people – both employed and unemployed – 16 and older.

Washington added more than 66,000 new jobs since September 2018, according to non-seasonally adjusted data. The private sector added 63,200 jobs while the public sector gained 2,800 jobs.