Kitsap County started the new year with strong employment and job numbers, according to the state Employment Security Department.
Jobs in Kitsap
More than 88,100 people worked for employers within Kitsap County in January, according to preliminary estimates. That was an increase of 2,700 from January 2015.
Significant year-over-year gains were reported in both the private and government sectors.
The report also revised job estimates for 2015, reporting an average of 88,500 jobs for Kitsap last year.
Here’s a graphical look at job numbers:
Employment/Unemployment
Overall employment among Kitsap County residents was also better in January than in January 2015.
Kitsap’s labor force (the
number of people working or actively seeking work) grew by more
than 3,000 workers. About 3,700 more residents were employed.
The number of residents reported as unemployed fell to 7,040. The unemployment rate hovered at 5.9 percent (down from 6.4 percent in January 2015.)
The state also posted revised employment numbers for 2015, with more favorable results for Kitsap. Here’s a graphical look at long-term employment trends:
The addition of the fast ferry service will increase jobs here as well.