By Rachel Pritchett
Kitsap County’s unemployment rate increased slightly in October
to 7.4 percent, resulting in 160 more local residents without work
than before.
That brought the total number of unemployed workers in Kitsap
County in October to 8,900, according to the Washington Department
of Employment Security.
September’s unemployment rate was 7.3 percent.
Local Employment Security economist Elizabeth Scott said the
increase was small.
The number of jobs within Kitsap County went down, from 81,300 to
80,600. But the entire local workforce, including those who travel
outside the county to work, such as Seattle or Tacoma, grew, from
118,970 in September to 120,060 in October.
Washington and the nation’s unemployment rates for October both
stood at 9 percent.
