Information released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Lewis County had an 8.4 percent unemployment rate in April.
The number shows a slight improvement from the March unemployment rate of 8.6 percent. A year ago, in April 2015, the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent.
Lewis County had a labor force of 31,520 people this April, with 2,647 unemployed.
Neighboring counties of Grays Harbor and Thurston had an 8.9 percent and 6 percent unemployment rate, respectively.
According to BLS, non-farm employment in the state increased by 11,200 from March to April. BLS estimates the private sector gained 9,600 jobs during the month, while the public sector gained 1,600 jobs.
Washington’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for last month was 5.8 percent, the same as March numbers. In April 2015, the unemployment rate was slightly better at 5.6 percent.
On a not seasonally adjusted basis, estimates for April 2015 through April 2016 indicate an increase in employment of 102,900 for the state.
The private sector added over 90,800 jobs, and the public sector gained an estimated 12,100 jobs over the year.
