SEATTLE — After a strong rebound this summer, Washington state’s job market now seems caught between a steady stream of layoffs and a slowdown in hiring by employers.
Washingtonians filed 18,403 new, or “initial,” claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending Saturday, according to figures released Thursday by the state Employment Security Department (ESD).
Although that’s down 8% from the prior week — and well below the massive levels from the first weeks of the pandemic — it’s still more than three times the number of claims that were filed the same week last year.
At the same time, the pace at which employers in Washington are hiring — or rehiring — has slowed markedly. In August, nonfarm employment increased by just 19,800 jobs, according to the most recent monthly ESD employment report.