Wenatchee Unemployment Rate Rises

The jobless rate in the Wenatchee area increased in the latest month from 3.6 percent to 5.1 percent.

The numbers released this week by the state show the unemployment rate to be higher than the previous year for the first time in 20 months.

The jobless rate was 4.4 percent in November 2021.

The total number of non-farm jobs is steady on an month to month basis, but has shown some growth (2,000) from a year ago (46,300 to 48,300).

The job sectors with the largest job growth over the past year were Education and Health Service (9%), followed by Leisure and Hospitality (7.9) and Government (6.8%).

The only sector to lose jobs was Mining Logging and Construction (3%).

Overall job growth was higher in the Wenatchee area than in the state for the first time since February.

The Wenatchee area employment figures represent the two counties of Chelan and Douglas, which have a combined population of 120,000.