Familiar
employment trends continued in April, with the number of jobs
in Kitsap increasing, employment among its residents growing
slightly, and the labor force shrinking.
Kitsap Jobs
Kitsap employers added about 400 employees between March and April, according to the Employment Security Department (see the chart above). Those added jobs came from construction, retail, hospitality and local government, among other trades.
Employment in the county continues to outpace 2012 and 2013 as the busy summer season approaches.
Employment/Unemployment
The county unemployment rate fell to 5.5 percent in April, in line with the statewide trend.
Kitsap’s labor force (the total number of workers and job seekers) declined, dropping from 116,320 to 115,110. Meanwhile, 80 residents started jobs, raising the number of employed to 108,770. The combination of those factors caused the unemployment rate to fall by 1.1 percent between March and April.
Here’s a look at the Kitsap labor force and employment for a decade’s worth of Aprils. The good news is, we’re seeing our first year-to-year gains in employment since 2008:
The full area labor report for Kitsap is posted below:
