Tag Archives: labor force

Kitsap entered fall with more jobs and a growing labor force

More jobs are available in Kitsap this fall than in previous years, according to the state Employment Security Department.

But a growing labor force has contributed to a higher unemployment rate in the county.

Jobs in Kitsap

chartimgA preliminary estimate showed 89,600 non-farm jobs in Kitsap in October, an increase of 900 from October 2015.

 

Of the new jobs, 700 were created in the government sector while 200 were added in the private sector.

The state has consistently reported more jobs in Kistap this year than in 2015, and significantly more jobs than in 2014. There  were about 2,600 more jobs in the county in October 2016 than in October 2014.

Employment/unemployment

Nearly 111,500 Kitsap residents were employed in October, according to Employment Security, marking an increase of 1,460 from October of last year.

The county’s labor force — the total number of people working or seeking work — grew by more than 2,400 over the same period, topping 118,300 in October.

Growth in the labor force has contributed to a higher unemployment rate in the county this year compared with 2015.chartimg-1

For statistical purposes, people are only counted as “unemployed” if they are actively seeking work. So as more people join the labor force and look for work, it can cause the unemployment rate to rise.

That appears to be the case in Kitsap, where the unemployment rate rose from 5.1 percent in October of 2015 to 5.8 percent in October of 2016, despite more residents becoming employed.

Kitsap posts solid first quarter job growth

Kitsap County added about 2,366 jobs from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016, according to preliminary estimates from the state Employment Security Department.

Kitsap had an average of 88,233 jobs during the first three months of the year, up nearly 3 percent from the same period of 2015. Job growth came from both the private sector (up 2 percent) and government sector (up 4 percent).

Here’s a graphical look at job growth in the county:

Employment/Unemployment

Overall employment among Kitsap residents also improved in the first quarter.

The county’s labor force (the total number of people working or seeking work) was up about 3,500 from the first quarter of 2015, reaching an average of 118,651.

An average of 111,711 residents were employed during the first three months of the year. The county unemployment rate hovered at about 5.8 percent.

Here’s a long-term look at Kitsap employment trends:

County job numbers, employment improved in 2015

B0012351787--316618

More Kitsap residents were employed and more people were working at jobs inside the county in 2015, according to preliminary year-end numbers released by the Employment Security Department.  

Kitsap jobs

An average of 87,600 people worked for employers within the county last year, a 3.7 percent uptick from 2014. It was also a slight increase from Kitsap’s pre-recession high of 87,400, reported in 2006.

Job growth came from both the private and government sectors, which increased employment by 2.7 percent and 5.4 percent respectively.

Here’s a graphical look at job trends in Kitsap:

Employment/unemployment

Overall employment among Kitsap residents remains lower than before the recession, but there were signs of improvement last year.

0827_KSLO_Wash-625x417The labor force – the total number of people working or seeking work – appeared to stabilize over the past three years, after declining through the recession. Kitsap’s labor force averaged 113,580 in 2015.

Average employment rose in 2014 and 2015, reaching 107,200 last year.

An average of 6,382 Kitsap residents were counted as unemployed last year, though the number only included people who were actively seeking work.

The county’s unemployment rate has fallen steadily since 2010, reaching 5.6 percent in 2015. This was partially due to declines in the labor force.

Here’s a graphical look at employment trends in Kitsap:

Kitsap jobs numbers remain encouraging

Jobs numbers in Kitsap County remain encouraging as the busy summer employment season approaches.

About 87,400 people were working for Kitsap businesses and government agencies in April, 3.4 percent more than in April 2014. Employment was up among both private and government employers, according to statistics released last week by the state Employment Security Department.

Here’s a look at jobs trends in the county:

 

Employment/unemployment

Overall employment numbers for Kitsap County residents are less encouraging.

The labor force — the number of people working or actively seeking work — continued to fall in April. The number of employed residents also dipped, dropping from 108,450 in March to 107,160 in April. 

More local jobs, but unemployment still up

October saw more government jobs come on locally, but fewer Kitsap residents working overall.

Kitsap County’s unemployment rate — which includes Kitsap residents working in and outside the county — ticked up by 1 percent from September to October, landing at 6.2 percent.

The jump was due to two factors, according to a preliminary jobs report released by the Employment Security Department last week .

First, about 560 fewer Kitsap residents had jobs in October than in September (see chart below). Second, the county’s labor force (the total number of people with jobs or actively looking for work) grew by 550.

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