June payrolls in Spokane County grew only in health services and private education, which added 1,200 jobs from a year earlier; excluding those areas, total employment was down by a few thousand.
The county’s unemployment rate rose to 3.8% from 3.4% a year earlier as the labor force stayed essentially flat, with retirements cutting overall job numbers by about 3% annually.
State and local government jobs fell by about 1,000 after earlier federal cuts, while retail, financial activity, professional services and construction also declined, mirroring broader Washington weakness.
Gasoline at $4.78 and diesel at $5.84 in Spokane are adding to household strain, with the economist saying energy-driven inflation is outpacing wage gains even as he sees no clear recession signal yet.
Washington’s unemployment rate reached 5.2% in June from 4.5% a year earlier, and rising long-term unemployment is adding to what the economist called growing 'yellow warning signs.'