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Washington unemployment rate at 5.1 percent

Published  March 8, 2017 11:51am PST
Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state's unemployment rate held steady last month at 5.1 percent even as the state lost about 7,200 jobs.

The unemployment rate in December was revised to 5.1 percent, down from the 5.2 percent originally reported by the Employment Security Department.

According to the latest numbers released Wednesday by the ESD, private-sector and government employment each decreased by 3,600 jobs in January.

The national unemployment rate was 4.8 percent last month. The unemployment rate in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area was 3.7 percent.

Job gains and losses are estimates based on a survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate counts the percentage of people who are unemployed and actively looking for work, and doesn't include those who have stopped looking for work.