Latest Whatcom jobless numbers show tourism taking the biggest hit in April
Whatcom’s unemployment rate was higher than the state average last month, led by a dramatic loss of tourism-related jobs during this coronavirus pandemic.
This area’s unemployment rate was 17.2% in April while the state rate was 15.4%, according to data from the state’s Employment Security Department.
While every industry was hit by job losses in Whatcom County, the leisure and hospitality industry shed 6,400 jobs in April compared to a year ago. The industry had just 4,700 jobs remaining in April. Construction jobs are down 2,500 compared to a year ago, while retail is down 1,900 jobs.
Last month’s unemployment rate was a record high for Whatcom County. Since the Employment Security Department began tracking unemployment with this formula in 1990, Whatcom County ‘s previous high was 11.1% in February 2010.
Northwest Washington was among the hardest-hit areas in the state; Snohomish County’s unemployment rate was 20.2%, while Skagit County checked in at 19.1% in April.
This part of the state is typically among the healthiest labor markets, mostly because of its connectivity to the Seattle area. The map more or less flipped in this report, said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, a regional labor economist for the state. She also noted that coastal areas were hit hard in terms of tourism job losses.
“The closure of the Canada-U.S. border to nonessential travel is implicitly showing up in the Whatcom County numbers as well,” Vance-Sherman said in an email.
