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State jobless rate down as thousands leave labor force

Washington state’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in July, holding even with the national jobless rate, state officials said Wednesday. Also, some people are voluntarily leaving their current job to look for a better one.

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Also, if you include discouraged workers who have quit looking for jobs and underemployed part-timers who would rather work full time, Nevada’s jobless rate averaged 15.2 percent from mid-2014 through mid-2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The latest report from the state’s Employment Security Department shows that the jobless rate was unchanged from June, and that the private sector gained 5,900 jobs from June to July. Construction continues to lead in terms of percentage growth rate, adding 6,800 jobs whereas leisure and hospitality saw the most nominal growth in July, adding more than 20,000 jobs.

Payroll employment in Oregon did rise by 4,600 jobs, after a revised 2,600-job gain in June. The statewide unemployment rate held steady in July at 5.3 percent – the same as the national rate. It’s the second largest gain since mid-2006. “Initial unemployment insurance claims are trending downward”. We can be proud that more than 420,000 private sector jobs and opportunities for Michiganders have been created since the end of 2010, but we must not be satisfied.

While this reduced the overall number of jobs added by employers in 2014, the gains made over the year still exceed employment growth for 2013.

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Both the seasonally adjusted and raw rates were down from the month before – to 6.8 percent and 6.9 percent respectively.

Nevada unemployment rate down to 6.8 percent in July story image