Wenatchee Area Unemployment Report Shows Slowing Job Growth

The latest jobless numbers show the unemployment rate has dipped to just below 4 percent in the most recently reported month of June in Chelan and Douglas counties. 

The number is still more than half a point higher than the unemployment rate from a year ago. The 3.9% unemployment rate this June was six-tenths of a point above the 3.3% rate in June 2023. 

There are also 900 fewer non-farm jobs in the two-county area from a year ago. 

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Total nonfarm employment in the two-county Wenatchee area registered 49,900 jobs in June 2024 versus the 50,800 in June of last year, a contraction of -1.8% 

Year over year, the Wenatchee area nonfarm market expanded for 37 months dating back to April of 2021, before contracting in May and June of this year. 

Washington State Employment Security Department Regional Labor Economist Don Meseck said, "Clearly, local job growth rates have tapered off during the past 12 months." 

As far as job sectors go, employment grew in health services, leisure and hospitality, and in federal, state, and local governments in the past year.  

Retail trade was unchanged, while there were jobs losses in construction, manufacturing, and private services. 

Health services saw the biggest jump, at 3.7%, while the biggest losses were in construction, which was down 4.9%. 

Figures by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics were included in a Tuesday release from Regional Labor Economist Meseck. 

Those numbers reflected the makeup of jobs in both Chelan and Douglas counties for 2023. 

Chelan County averaged 45,547 jobs for the year while Douglas County averaged 12,409 jobs for the year.  

The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing sector accounted for the largest portion of jobs in both counties, with a similar percentage for each (Chelan 18.0% - Dougals 18.7%) 

Health Services was the second largest sector in Chelan County while it was only ranked fifth in Douglas County. The difference may reflect the fact that the two largest hospitals in the Confluence Healthcare system are in Wenatchee. 

Local Government was the third largest sector in both counties. 

Also of note, retail trade was the second largest sector in Douglas County while it only ranked fifth in Chelan County.