Job numbers for state and Kitsap County look better

Those who are out of work in Kitsap County and the state appear to have received some good news about job trends.

The state and county preliminary unemployment rates for November were released by the state Employment Security Department Wednesday and show improvements.

The monthly averages for Kitsap County show consistent improvement with the preliminary unemployment rate for November at 6.5 percent while in November of 2011 it was 7.2 percent.

The highest recent monthly rate for Kitsap was 9.3 percent in February 2010. In February of 2012 the rate was 8.1.

According to the Employment Security Department report, “On a seasonally adjusted basis, preliminary estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate nonfarm employment in Washington rose by 1,600 from October 2012 to November 2012. BLS estimates the private sector added 2,400 jobs over the month and the public sector lost 800 jobs.”

According to the BLS figures, the job gains from November 2011 to 2012 represent an increase of 46,200 jobs for the state.

The state unemployment rate for November came in at 7.8 percent, down from 8.2 percent in October. In November 2011, the state unemployment rate was 8.7 percent.

County unemployment percentages

November 2012

Kitsap - 6.5 percent

Mason - 9.1 percent

Thurston - 6.9 percent

Pierce - 7.9 percent

King - 6.3 percent

 

Washington - 7.8 percent - seasonally adjusted

U.S. 7.7 percent - seasonally adjusted

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