Grays Harbor and Pacific County highest in unemployment yet again

Grays Harbor, WA – Grays Harbor and Pacific County had the highest unemployment rates in the state yet again in December.

According to the Washington Employment Security Department’s non-seasonally adjusted numbers, Pacific County was the highest with their rate jumping from 8.6% in November to 10.7% in December.

Grays Harbor’s rate rose from 8.9% in November to 10.1% in December and was tied for the second highest in the state with Ferry County.

Grays Harbor’s labor force fell by 44 and the total number of those employed fell 358.

The total number of people on unemployment grew by 314.

Grays Harbor had an average unemployment rate of 11.4% in 2020 and an average labor force of 29,890.

That is a larger labor force on average by over 800 than the previous year but the average number of people employed was less than in 2019 by nearly 500.

From November to December, Pacific County lost 123 from their labor force and 279 from the total number of those employed.

The number of those on unemployment grew by 156.

Pacific County’s yearly averages for both the labor force and the total number of those employed fell from 2019.

Find more information at https://esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo/labor-force?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Grays Harbor	November 2020	December 2020*	December 2019
Labor Force	28,047	28,003	29,407
Total Employment	25,537	25,179	27,344
Total Unemployment	2,510	2,824	2,063
Unemployment Rate	8.9%	10.1%	7.0%

*Latest month non-seasonally adjusted

Pacific County	November 2020	December 2020*	December 2019
Labor Force	7,765	7,642	8,596
Total Employment	7,100	6,821	8,008
Total Unemployment	665	821	588
Unemployment Rate	8.6%	10.7%	6.8%

*Latest month non-seasonally adjusted