Grays Harbor unemployment remains higher than pre-business-closure levels

Grays Harbor, WA – As unemployment figures reach the one year anniversary of the Stay Home Stay Healthy order in Washington, Grays Harbor’s unemployment numbers remain higher than pre-business-closure levels.

According to the Employment Security Department’s non-seasonally adjusted numbers, Grays Harbor’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.8% in March but remained the third highest in the state.

The rate was 9.3% in February of this year and in March of 2020 it was 8.1%.

Pacific County had the fourth highest rate at 8.2% even though it fell from 8.9% in February.

Last year the March rate was 8.0%.

March 23rd of 2020 was when Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay Home Stay Healthy order was announced which mandated the closure of “all businesses except essential businesses.”

In April of 2020 Grays Harbor’s unemployment rate jumped to 21% and Pacific County’s rate ballooned to 19.6%.

Last March showed Grays Harbor with nearly 1,200 more in the labor force and over 1,200 more people employed than this year.

For Pacific County, March of 2020 showed 481 fewer people in the labor force and 423 fewer people employed compared to this year.

This year, Grays Harbor’s labor force and total number of those employed fell from February to March by 365 and 197 respectively.

Those on unemployment also fell by 168.

Pacific County saw growth in their labor force and the total number of those employed and those on unemployment fell from February to March.

Grays Harbor	February 2021	March 2021*	March 2020	April 2020
Labor Force	27,893	27,528	28,725	30,558
Total Employment	25,309	25,112	26,405	24,145
Total Unemployment	2,584	2,416	2,320	6,413
Unemployment Rate	9.3%	8.8%	8.1%	21.0%

*Latest month non-seasonally adjusted

Pacific County	February 2021	March 2021*	March 2020	April 2020
Labor Force	8,616	8,627	8,146	8,441
Total Employment	7,852	7,917	7,494	6,787
Total Unemployment	764	710	652	1,654
Unemployment Rate	8.9%	8.2%	8.0%	19.6%

*Latest month non-seasonally adjusted