Lewis County’s unemployment rate has dropped for the fourth consecutive month, but analysts are slow to rule the recession over.
“We’re still considerably above where we were last year at this time,” said Jim Vleming, regional economist for Lewis, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Mason and Pacific counties.
This time last year Lewis County’s unemployment rate was at 7.7 percent. It now sits at 12.3 percent. The state’s unemployment rate is 9.1 percent.
The county’s unemployment rate in July also ranked third among the top three highest unemployment rates in the state; only Clark County, 13.7 percent, and Cowlitz County, 12.9 percent, finished with higher numbers.
Vleming attributed the decline to a number of people, who have simply stopped looking for jobs, noting the county’s labor force dropped from 32,460 in June to 31,810 in July.
He also said the number of unemployed could rise again this winter as construction and seasonal jobs drop off, and another consecutive winter with adverse weather conditions could “multiply the bad stuff times God knows what.”
“Unless something turns around, we’re just going to trod along for awhile,” Vleming said.
Dave Smith
It's good that Vleming noted, and Allen reported, that a prime reason for the decline in the unemployment rate is people who no longer can collect unemployment, and as such are not considered in the rate. Too often the media leaves that fact out.