Lewis County Unemployment Rate Rises Slightly

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The unemployment rate for Lewis County rose 0.1 percent from June, as July numbers landed at 8.4 percent.

The preliminary statewide unemployment rate is 5.3 percent, seasonally adjusted. Lewis County continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, with only Grays Harbor, Pend Oreille and Ferry counties seeing higher numbers.

Grays Harbor County has an unemployment rate of 8.6 percent, an improvement of 0.1 percent from numbers in June, while neighboring Thurston County holds an unemployment rate of 6 percent. 

In July, Lewis County had a labor force, or the amount of eligible people to work, of 30,365. That number increased from 30,146 in June of this year. 

According to numbers released by the Employment Security Department, 2,547 in the county were unemployed, while 27,818 were employed. 



In June, there were 2,499 people unemployed in Lewis County.

In comparison to July 2014 when the unemployment rate was 8.8 percent, the county is looking better in terms of the amount of people employed. Last year, 2,706 people were unemployed in Lewis County during the month of July. 

In a typical year, unemployment rates reach a low point in either July or August, spurred by the amount of seasonal work available during the summer months, regional economist Jim Vleming told The Chronicle in an earlier interview. 

Unemployment rates are expected to climb again in September, and during the winter months, due to a decline of seasonal work.