Wash. unemployment rate rises to 8.5%
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Washington state gained 5,000 jobs last month, but the unemployment rate still increased slightly to 8.5 percent.
The numbers released Wednesday by the Employment Security Department show that the July unemployment rate increased from the June rate of 8.3 percent. Officials said that the rise in the rate was in part due to a decline in the total workforce combined with a small increase in the number of unemployed people who are actively looking for work.
Most of July's job growth occurred in the "other industries" sector, which includes service-related businesses ranging from equipment repair to dry cleaning and pet care. That sector added 2,900 jobs last month.
The biggest losses were seen in the professional and business services sector, which saw a loss of 4,600 jobs.