Want a holiday job? About 500 expected to be added in Tri-Cities
Washington retailers are expected to hire nearly 10,000 holiday workers, a small increase over the 2018 season.
While much of the growth will be in the Seattle area, the Tri-Cities will gain 465 positions, according to an employment forecast released by the Washington Employment Security Department.
Elsewhere, Bellingham will add 314 jobs, Olympia will lose 100 and Tacoma will gain nearly 1,100.
The unemployment rate for the Tri-Cities was 4.7 percent in September, five-tenths of a percent above a year ago.
Retail is a major employer, accounting for 13,400 local jobs in September.