Unemployment in Whatcom County

Whatcom County Housing News, June 2009

Last month the local unemployment rate was 8.4%, while the state and national rate rose to 9.4%. Hart Hodges, director at the Center for Economics and Business Research at Western Washington University, doesn't think job growth will actually begin until 2010 and isn't sure if this area will return to the sub 5% unemployment seen in the early part of 2008.

What may be happening is a more structural change in the job market both nationally and locally, said Joe Giannamore, a regional labor economist for the Washington State Employment Security Department. He noted that year over year job growth in Whatcom County had not been negative since at least 1990, indicating that the current job losses make this a different kind of local recession. Since this area has a relatively diverse job market, growth will be tied to what happens nationally rather than what happens to one industry. He believes the overall financial and real estate markets need to get back on track before we see improvement.

Last month, construction and manufacturing dominated the local occupations that have the most people looking for work. At the top of the list was carpenters, with 255 people in that occupation receiving unemployment checks, up from 146 in May 2008. Rounding out the top five are construction laborers, production workers, truck drivers and electricians.

*From the Bellingham Herald Business Section and Stewart Title of Bellingham*