Unemployment down from March in Grant County But higher when 2018 is compared to 2017
Cheryl Schweizer <Staff Writer> | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 6 months AGO
MOSES LAKE — Unemployment in Grant County went down between March and April, but went up when April 2018 is compared with April 2017.
The unemployment rate for April 2018 was 6.4 percent, less than the 7.9 percent in March 2018 but more than the 5.9 percent of April 2017. “Monthly unemployment rates had fallen, year over year, from September 2016 through February 2018,” wrote Don Meseck, regional labor economist for the Washington Employment Security Department. “However, unemployment began creeping upwards during the past two months. The civilian labor force stagnated while the number of unemployed residents increased.”
But for Grant County, 6.4 percent unemployment is still pretty good. “For Grant County in the month of April, unemployment rates in the vicinity of six percent are still low. In fact, the last time an April unemployment rate for the county was in this range was in April 2008, 10 years ago.”
There was good news in the education and health services sector, which in Grant County primarily is private health service providers. That economic sector “netted 170 more jobs in April 2018 than April 2017, an advance of 6.1 percent.” The industry “has been adding workers for the past 10 months. In fact, in the past four months the job growth pace in health services has been faster in Grant County than across Washington.”
Many sectors of the county’s economy lost jobs, with the exceptions of retail trade, information and financial activities, and state and local government. Some sectors lost less than others – the construction industry lost 10 jobs between the Aprils, and so did the transportation and warehousing sector.
The non-durable goods manufacturing sector stayed the same when April 2018 was compared with April 2017. But durable goods manufacturing “has posted year-over-year losses for the past four months, January through April 2018. Between the Aprils of 2017 and 2018 this industry slipped by 90 jobs.” That follows the state trend. Durable goods manufacturing has dropped statewide since December 2015.
Professional and business services was up in 2017 and is down in the first four months of 2018, providing 540 fewer jobs in Grant County in April 2018 than April 2017. “This is a relatively recent downturn, however,” Meseck wrote. In 2017 that economic sector generated 170 new jobs.
Agriculture continues to be a crucial economic sector in Grant County, accounting for about 23.9 of total covered employment in 2017, the last year for which data is available.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER <STAFF WRITER>
Othello School Board approves property purchase
OTHELLO — The Othello School Board has approved an agreement to purchase 81.14 acres of land along 14th Street and Lee Road. The district will pay $2.4 million to the current owner, Terra Gold Farms. The draft agreement was approved during the regular board meeting Monday. The land is located at Lee Road between Seventh and 14th streets. Assistant superintendent Gina Bullis said there are no plans to build on the property now, but district officials plan to keep it as a site for any additional schools. The sale should be completed by the end of January. In other business, a discussion of a site visit to Wahitis Elementary prompted questions about traffic on 14th Street. Construction closed part of 14th Street during the spring, summer and fall, including the stretch in front of Wahitis Elementary. Prior to construction the road had a four-way stop outside Scootney Springs Elementary, but the stop signs were removed during construction and haven’t been replaced. Board member Juan Garza said he had received inquiries about the stop signs, and whether they would be reinstalled. “It sounds to me like they (the stop sign removals) are permanent, right? It’s going to stay that way.” Bullis said she had received inquiries too, and had asked city officials about them, including a question at the Othello City Council meeting earlier Monday evening. City manager Wade Faris told her, Bullis said, the city wasn’t required to reinstall them. The original purpose was to eliminate some of the congestion on 14th, Cemetery and Ash streets when kids and parents were coming and going from Scootney Springs. City officials think the extra lanes will accommodate any congestion, she said. Board member Mike Garza said the stop signs were installed as the result of a traffic study conducted by the district at the city’s request. He asked if the city had done an additional traffic study prior to removal. Bullis said city officials didn’t give a reason for the change. Mike Garza also asked if city officials planned to paint crosswalks across 14th Street at Wahitis Elementary. “I noticed there are no crosswalk designations across 14th” at the school, he said. Bullis said she would ask city officials.
Othello School District land purchase moves ahead
OTHELLO — The Othello School Board is scheduled to review a draft purchase and sale agreement for 78 acres of property along Lee Road at its Oct. 10 meeting.
Othello School Board discusses 14th Street with city officials
OTHELLO — Traffic, traffic flow and pedestrian safety, especially for elementary students, were the subjects of a lengthy discussion at the Othello School Board meeting Monday.