MOSES LAKE - 2014 agricultural employment levels in Grant and Adams counties continue to show improvement over last year, according to the latest Employment Security Department report.

More agricultural jobs were tallied this February compared to last in the Columbia Basin Area 4 - a reporting area consisting of Grant and Adams counties. Total agricultural employment was 9,380 in February 2014 versus 8,580 in February 2013, which represents an 800-job and 9.3 percent over the year increase.

Employment figures from the agency's January report also show a year-over-year increase in agricultural jobs in the area. Preliminary figures from that report indicate there were 9,030 jobs this January compared to the 7,900 jobs last January.

That represents a 1,130-job and 14.3 percent over the year increase, according to the report.

Regional labor economist Don Meseck said the increase in agricultural employment helped drive the area's unemployment rate down. In February, Grant County's unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was at 11.5 percent, down from February 2013's rate of 12.4 percent.

He said the majority of the jobs in the Columbia Basin Area 4 are located in Grant County.

"Ag employment is looking really good in Grant and Adams this February compared to last, it's been doing well," Meseck said. "In Grant it's a little better, 80 percent of those jobs are really in Grant County, only 20 percent are in Adams."

Although a majority of the new jobs are in Grant County, any increase in a two-county area is significant, he said.

In the neighboring Wenatchee reporting area, jobs are spread out over Kittitas, Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties. Two-thirds of the jobs are located in Chelan and Douglas counties.

Agricultural employment in the four-county reporting area increased by 4.5 percent this February compared to last, he said.

According to the February report, seasonal agricultural employment this February was down compared to last February. There were 3,630 seasonal jobs in the reporting area last year compared to 3,530 this year.

Seasonal agricultural employment decreased this year by 2.8 percent because of decreased cherry work, according to the report.

"Seasonal employment will vary month to month, the important takeaway is that total ag is still looking good," Meseck said. "The decrease in cherry work wasn't enough to push ag down, so ag is looking strong."

The February report also showed gains in several non-farm industries including retail, transportation, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality.

Retail trade stores provided 3,120 jobs last February and 3,270 this February, a 4.8 percent increase. Transportation, which mainly consists of jobs in the trucking industry, increased by 13.4 percent over the year.

Professional and business services, which includes legal offices, accounting and tax preparation firms and temporary job placement agencies, gained 460 jobs between last February and this February. The category also posted a 15.2 percent annual increase in jobs between 2012 and 2013, according to the report.

Leisure and hospitality, primarily hotels and restaurants, expanded from 1,960 jobs in February 2013 to 2,330 jobs this February, a 370-job and 18.9 percent increase.