The Columbian

Thompson Metal Fab employees George Mason, left, and Mike Marsh look over shop drawings in 2016 at the company's Vancouver shop.

Clark County adds 400 jobs in September

October 25, 2022, 6:10pm Business

Clark County continued to add jobs in September: Not including seasonal trends, there were 400 more added last month, leaving the unemployment rate at 3.8 percent — more than a point lower than the 4.9 percent from September 2021. Read story

Kris Johnson, president of the Association of Washington Business, right, pauses to take a photo while touring lab rooms at Clark College's Columbia Tech Center campus on Monday morning. The visit was part of a Manufacturing Week bus tour, which highlights the contributions of the state's manufacturing sector.

State business group visits Clark College lab, Camas’ Analog Devices in Manufacturing Week bus tour

October 10, 2022, 6:31pm Business

A large bus decked out in Manufacturing Week decor pulled up to Clark College’s campus at the Columbia Tech Center on Monday morning. As the bus unloaded, people clad in blue Association of Washington Business jackets crossed the parking lot, hustling for their chance to tour the school’s mechatronics lab. Read story

Angie Miller, manager of Elements, prepares to sweep out the restaurant's parklet.

Clark County job gains carry on

September 26, 2022, 5:22pm Business

Clark County’s unemployment rate is more than a point below where it was last August, according to an update from the Washington Employment Security Department. Read story

Restaurants are suffering from staff shortages and Skippers in Hazel Dell has had trouble retaining staff over the summer, as seen on Sept. 9. Food services is one sector that saw gains in August.

Job report: Clark County fares better than state, Seattle

September 20, 2022, 6:04am Business Subscriber Exclusive

Eight hundred jobs were added to Clark County’s local economy in July, according to seasonally adjusted statistics from Scott Bailey, regional economist for the Washington Employment Security Department. Read story

State unemployment offices in Washington and Oregon have been instructed by the federal government to stop releasing daily claim totals before the U.S. Department of Labor can issue its regularly scheduled weekly report.

Clark County job market shows strong growth, outstrips gains in Seattle, Portland

August 25, 2022, 5:39pm Business

Clark County has added 11,400 jobs since the onset of pandemic in February 2020 — a 6.7 percent increase that has outpaced employment rate increases in Portland and Seattle, as well as in Oregon and Washington — and the United States as a whole. Read story