Boeing strike drives WA job losses in October

OLYMPIA — Washington state's economy shed 35,900 jobs in October, primarily due to a major strike by Boeing machinists, while the unemployment rate slightly decreased to 4.7%, state officials reported Wednesday.

The substantial job losses were largely attributed to the aerospace sector, which saw a reduction of 31,000 jobs during the month. The drop marked an unusual shift from recent trends of minimal employment changes.

"October shows an unusually high drop in jobs, unlike the relatively small changes over the past several months," said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department. "This is largely a reflection of the now-resolved strike by Boeing machinists."

Despite the significant job losses, several sectors showed growth. Government employment increased by 2,400 positions, while education and health services added 1,800 jobs, with notable gains in ambulatory health care services.

The leisure and hospitality sector experienced the second-largest decline, losing 5,400 jobs. Other services (-1,500), transportation and warehousing (-1,200), and construction (-800) also reported losses.

The state's labor force contracted by 6,924 workers to 3,995,931 in October. The number of unemployed individuals decreased from 190,150 to 187,951.

Year-over-year data showed mixed results, with Washington gaining a net 9,100 jobs since October 2023. While public sector employment grew by 4.1% (24,300 jobs), private sector employment declined by 0.51% (15,200 jobs).

The national unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1% in October, compared to Washington's 4.7%. Both figures represent increases from October 2023, when unemployment rates stood at 3.8% for both the state and nation.

Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 57,057 people in October, an increase of 3,143 from September, with manufacturing and construction sectors contributing significantly to the rise in claims.