While the state's unemployment rate inched up to 9.3 percent last month, the Tri-Cities' rate fell to 6 percent.
Dean Schau, regional labor economist, said the Tri-Cities' unemployment rate, which was down from 6.5 percent in August, was the lowest of all major metropolitan areas in Washington.
While the state has lost tens of thousands of jobs in the past year, Schau said the Tri-Cities has added about 3,000.
The state's job pool has shrunk by 131,200 from a year earlier, a decrease of 4.4 percent. For the same period, the Tri-Cities' job pool has grown 3.1 percent.
Although the Tri-Cities has added about 3,000 jobs in the past year, the number of unemployed workers grew from 5,620 in September 2008 to 7,890 last month.
Schau attributed that growth to the "refuge unemployed."
"I think people are coming in, a lot of them from Oregon, and are looking for work," he said. "Maybe they do find work, but maybe it takes 16 to 20 weeks."
Total nonfarm employment in the Tri-Cities fell seasonally by about 300 jobs from August to September. Much of the job losses were in the leisure and hospitality industries. Nearly 100 construction jobs were lost between August and September as well.
Much of the area's job growth came in agriculture, where farm employment swelled from 11,600 jobs in August to 13,400 jobs in September. "Agriculture looked nice because of the potato harvest," Schau said.
In a separate report this week, chief state economist Arun Raha noted Washington's unemployment rate has remained relatively flat since reaching 9.1 percent in March, the end of the recession's free-fall period.
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Tri-City jobless rate up to 7.4 percent
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The Tri-Cities saw steady growth in private sector jobs during August, with increases in manufacturing, retail and the medical industries.
However, job figures released Tuesday show overall employment in the Tri-Cities dropped by 1,880 jobs from July to August -- a 1.5 percent dip.
The Tri-Cities' unemployment rate increased in August to 7.4 percent from July's rate of 7 percent. That remains under the state jobless rate of 9.3 percent, which was unchanged from July.
Tri-City housing market rated at No. 17 by magazine
Tri-City housing market rated at No. 17 by magazine
The Tri-Cities is expected to have one of the top 20 healthiest housing markets in the nation next year.
The Tri-Cities, at No. 17, was the only metropolitan area in the Northwest to make the list created by Builder Magazine and Hanley Wood Market Intelligence.
The healthiest of the 100 largest markets nationwide were determined using home prices, employment, population projections, unemployment rates and median household incomes, said Jonathan Smoke, executive director of research for the real estate research firm.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Rate still shows no signs of shrinking
UNEMPLOYMENT: Rate still shows no signs of shrinking
Washington state has recorded job growth in every month for the past year, but the state’s lofty unemployment rate still showed no signs of shrinking, officials said today.
A report from the Employment Security Department found that the state gained an estimated 3,800 jobs in August, raising the one-year total to more than 46,000. The annual growth helped drive down the unemployment rate through much of 2010, but the rate has come back up in recent months and now sits at 9.3 percent.
The unemployment was at 9.4 percent a year ago and hit a peak of 10 percent at the beginning of 2010.
JOBS: State unemployment rate drops to 8.5 percent
JOBS: State unemployment rate drops to 8.5 percent
Washington’s unemployment rate decreased slightly to 8.5 percent in December - the lowest in nearly three years, state officials said Friday.
The November rate had been 8.7 percent. However the Employment Security Department said there was “conflicting data,” clouding the overall picture of the state’s job market. A survey of Washington businesses also showed an estimated job loss of 10,700 from November to December.
Greg Weeks of the State Employment Security Department said there was a lot of volatility in the numbers, but the overall, long-term trend shows jobs gradually increasing.
Tri-Cities sees job losses for sixth straight month
Tri-Cities sees job losses for sixth straight month
Seasonal slowdowns contributed to the Tri-Cities seeing job losses for a sixth straight month in December.
But regional labor economist Ajsa Suljic still expects the final analysis of nonfarm jobs last year will end up showing some modest gains for the year.
The Tri-Cities lost 3,690 jobs between November and December, according to data released Tuesday by the state Employment Security Department.
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