Chelan & Douglas Counties Among Lowest in State for Unemployment in July

Chelan and Douglas counties have among the lowest unemployment rates in Washington State.

Chelan has the second lowest rate (3.6%) while Douglas is tied for fourth lowest (3.9%) for the month of July.

The jobless rates in both counties are less than half of what they were a year ago, during a spike in COVID-19. Chelan County had an unemployment rate of 10% in July of 2020, while Douglas County's rate was 9.8%

The biggest job gains statewide are in the leisure and hospitality industry, followed by restaurants and bars, as measured both by month-to-month and year-to-year.

Ferry County in eastern Washington has the state's highest unemployment rare at 7.5%. Grays Harbor (6.4%) and Pacific (6.2%) counties are second and third highest, while eastern Washington's Pend Oreille County is fourth highest (6.1%).

Also in North Central Washington, Grant County's jobless rate is 4.7% while the rate in Okanogan County is 4.9%. Kittitas County has an unemployment rate of 5.2% for the month of July

Chelan County's bordering metro Seattle counties (King County with 5.1% and Snohomish County with 5.9%) have noticeably higher unemployment than Chelan or Douglas counties.

The numbers were released Tuesday by the Washington State Employment Security Department.