Whatcom job losses remain high; manufacturing took a big hit statewide last week
New unemployment claims across Washington last week remain at levels not seen before the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of Washington residents who filed unemployment claims totaled 143,241 for the week ending April 11, according to data from the state’s Employment Security Department. That’s down from the peak of 181,975 claims a few weeks ago, but is still the third-highest weekly total since the Employment Security Department has calculated these weekly claims.
In Whatcom County 3,968 people filed for unemployment insurance last week. In a four-week stretch, a total of 20,549 residents have put in a claim, which is about 18% of the people working locally in February. Whatcom’s jobless claims are down 37% compared to its peak two weeks ago, when 6,268 filed claims.
The manufacturing industry took the biggest hit in terms of job losses last week, with 33,337 people filing claims across the state. Construction, which was the hardest hit for the week ending April 4, had 17,291 claims last week. Retail trade, health/social assistance and lodging/food service each had claims topping 11,000.
Employment Security Commissioner Suzi LeVine said in a news release that further expansion of who is eligible for benefits will be expanded starting Saturday, April 18, to include other workers not traditionally able to get benefits, including self-employed workers and independent contractors. Those who file will be paid retroactive to their eligibility date, she said.
“As a result, we expect to see an even larger surge of claims in the coming weeks,” LeVine said.
In terms of job losses, Whatcom County is tracking closely to the state trends. For the week ending April 11, construction and manufacturing industries had the biggest job losses. In the first two weeks of the new “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” restrictions, restaurants, bars, retail stores and lodging took some of the biggest job losses.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 10:54 AM.
