Unemployment on the rise

National picture

According to new government statistics, 651,000 jobs were lost in the country in February, bringing the national unemployment rate to 8.1 percent. That is the highest jobless level since 1983.

Since the economic slide began in December 2007, the nation has lost 4.4 million jobs. More than half those jobs disappeared in the last four months.

Some economists are particularly concerned about the fact that people are remaining unemployed for longer periods. In February, 2.9 million people were unemployed for more than six months, versus 1.3 million when the recession began.

Washington

Washington’s unemployment rate jumped to 7.8 percent in January, up from 7.1 percent in December. Currently, more than 303,500 Washington residents are unemployed. That equals 4.5 sold out crowds at Qwest Field or the entire populations of Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties combined.

According to ESD, the current 7.8 percent jobless rate (Jan. 2009) is the highest since February 1987. In November 1982, the state’s unemployment rate reached 12.2 percent then began dropping.

The unemployment system- as it is today- didn’t exist during the Great Depression, so we don’t know exactly how high the jobless rate was back then.

During the 2001-02 recession, the state was hit particularly hard by the dot-com bust. The peak state unemployment rate for that recession was 7.7% in April 2002.

Our state continues to have a lower unemployment rate than the rest of the country. The national unemployment rate for February was 8.1 percent – a .5 percent increase from January.

Losses in manufacturing account for the majority of job losses in January. Computer and electronic product manufacturing eliminated 500 jobs; aerospace eliminated 300 jobs; papermaking eliminated 900 jobs; and food processing eliminated 600 jobs.  The construction industry slashed 20,700 jobs in the last year and 2,400 jobs in just the last month.

In December, more than 90,000 people filed unemployment claims. That was a 75 percent increase over December 2007. The Unemployment Insurance Division of the state Employment Security Department has had to increase staffing levels from 82 intake agents in January to 160 in order to respond to questions and process the high volume of claims.

At the end of 2008, more than 136,000 Washingtonians were receiving unemployment benefits, compared to 72,910 at the end of 2007.

The average unemployment rate for 2008 was 5.5 percent, but the state’s jobless rate jumped to 7.1 percent in December. The last time we saw a 7.8 percent unemployment rate was in February 1987. Our state’s low was 4.4 percent in March and April of 2007.

 

Eligibility

The public can call 1-877-558-8509 for information about eligibility.

http://www.esd.wa.gov/uibenefits/fileweekly/extension/extended-benefits.php