The unemployment rate in the Olympia-Tumwater Metropolitan Statistical Area slipped in the final month of 2024, in part because fewer people were in the labor market.
The jobless rate eased to 4.6 percent in December 2024 from 4.8 percent in December 2023, according to monthly data from the Washington Employment Security Department, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and local area unemployment statistics released this week.
The December 2024 data is preliminary and subject to revision, while the December 2023 data has been revised.
The data also showed the labor force contracted to 146,764 in December 2024 from 152,157 in December 2023. That marked a decrease of 3.54 percent in the period.
At the same time, the number of employed people retreated 3.40 percent to 139,972 from 144,905. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed people dropped to 6,792 in December 2024 from 7,252 in December 2023. That marked a decline of 6.34 percent in the period.
The unemployment rate in the Olympia-Tumwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (Thurston County) was among the 10 lowest in the state last month.
King County posted the lowest jobless rate at 3.0 percent in December 2024, while Ferry County, whose labor force stood at 2,214 last month, was the highest at 9.4 percent.
Statewide, the unemployment rate measured 4.5 percent in December 2024, up from 4.2 percent in December 2023. At the same time, the national jobless rate rose to 4.1 percent from 3.8 percent.
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