Grays Harbor and Pacific County highest unemployment rates in State

Grays Harbor, WA – Grays Harbor and Pacific County had the highest unemployment rates in the State in May.

According to the Employment Security Department, Grays Harbor’s rate of 19.3% and Pacific County’s rate 16.9% were the two highest rates in the State for May with Pierce County also showing 16.9%.

Grays Harbor’s total number of people on unemployment dropped from April but so did the labor force and the total number of those employed.

Both April and May were the highest rates since at least 1990 for Grays Harbor, while Pacific County had a higher rate only in January of 1993.

In Pacific County, the total number of those on unemployment dropped from April as well but so did the labor force and the total number of those employed.

In April, Pacific County had the eighth highest rate in the State and Grays Harbor was the second highest as both counties continue to have high numbers from the shutdowns caused by the coronavirus.

Grays Harbor	April 2020	May 2020*	May 2019
Labor Force	32,277	31,658	28,923
Total Employment	26,055	25,548	26,947
Total Unemployment	6,222	6,110	1,976
Unemployment Rate	19.3%	19.3%	6.8%

*Latest month non-seasonally adjusted

Pacific County	April 2020	May 2020*	May 2019
Labor Force	9,412	9,197	8,475
Total Employment	7,812	7,640	7,888
Total Unemployment	1,600	1,557	587
Unemployment Rate	17%	16.9%	6.9%