Unemployment Rate At 4.5 Percent As State Adds New Jobs

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state's unemployment rate held steady last month at 4.5 percent and the state gained 2,500 jobs.
According to the latest numbers released Wednesday by the Employment Security Department, the private sector lost 300 jobs in June and the public sector gained 2,800 jobs.
The biggest job growth was seen in government, with 2,800 new jobs. The largest losses were seen in retail, which lost 2,700 jobs, and education and health services, which was down 2,600 jobs.
Job gains and losses are estimates based on a survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate counts the percentage of people who are unemployed and actively looking for work, and doesn't include those who have stopped looking for work.
The national unemployment rate was 4.4 percent last month. The rate in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area increased slightly to 3.4 percent in June from 3.3 percent in May.