County’s employment numbers remain strong in August

Clark County’s job-creating and job-retaining engine continued chugging apace in August, led by job growth in construction, according to data issued Tuesday.

Unemployment, not seasonally adjusted, was estimated at 4.6 percent, identical to July’s rate and a half-percentage point lower than August 2017’s 5.1 percent.

Construction and mining added 300 jobs in August compared with July, for a total of 1,700 new jobs in the sector for 2018 — a 12.2 percent growth rate.

The growth likely can be attributed to construction of single-family and multi-family homes in the county, said Scott Bailey, Southwest regional economist for the Washington Employment Security Department, which issued the data.

Leisure and hospitality grew by 400 jobs from July to August, from 16,400 to 16,800. Manufacturing shed 300 jobs. A total of 14,000 people worked in the sector in August.

Total unadjusted nonfarm employment declined by 1,200 jobs over the month to a total of 168,500. Private-sector payrolls increased by 500 jobs.

August’s unemployment rate for the state of Washington was 4.1 percent, mostly unchanged from July’s 4.2 percent. The state’s rate in August 2017 was 4.8 percent.