KPLU Local News
(2010-03-16)
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With employers cutting more than 8-thousand jobs in February, the state employment security department says the situation is "two steps forward, one step back." None of January's gains carried through to this month's report. Chief Economist Dave Wallace says the news is disappointing, but not really surprising.
"When a recovery happens, when there's turning points, it is typically uneven," he says. "Even though we had positive numbers last month, we didn't expect it to be even going forward."
Looking at the three month trend, he says the state is still losing jobs overall but the rate is slowing. The expectation is that even though the plunge into recession was sudden and steep, the climb back out will be more gradual.
In February, the declines hit nearly all sectors. Construction had the biggest drop, followed by professional and business services.
On the plus side: retail trade added a few hundred positions in February on top of thousands gained in January. Real estate also added several hundred jobs.
For more information, Washington's Workforce Explorer web site has complete details on the Current Employment Situation.
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