Yakima County job growth on the upswing

YAKIMA, Wash. -- While the numbers of Yakima County residents without jobs continued to increase last month, the county, unlike the state, saw job growth.

About 14,280 county residents were jobless last month compared to 11,830 during the same time last year, according to preliminary data from state Employment Security Department. That translates to unemployment rates of 11.5 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively.

The county’s unemployment is more than a percentage point above the state rate of 10.4 percent. That rate was 9 percent in February 2009.

The state also reports a seasonally adjusted rate, which accounts for trends such as extra hiring during the holidays. The state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 9.7 percent last month and 8.2 percent in February 2009.

Yakima County does not report a seasonally adjusted rate. But Yakima Valley companies reported an increase in the number of nonagricultural jobs.

Yakima County reported about 77,400 nonagricultural jobs last month, compared to 75,900 during the same month in 2009. The county’s job growth, which was just under 2 percent, contrasts with that of the state, which saw job growth drop by nearly 3.2 percent.

Though the figure is for nonagricultural jobs, the Valley’s agricultural industry likely contributed to job growth. The nondurable goods manufacturing and wholesale trade sectors, which include food processing plants and fruit packing houses, reported an increase of 1,000 jobs each.

Other sectors reporting growth include health services, with 500 more jobs; local government, with 300 more jobs; and transportation, warehousing and utilities, with 200 jobs.

Offsetting that growth were losses in several sectors. Leisure and hospitality lost 800 jobs while the mining, logging and construction and professional and business services sectors had a drop of 400 jobs each.

-- Mai Hoang