More than 400 people sought first-time unemployment benefits in southeastern Washington during the week Gov. Jay Inslee issued his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order that forced restaurants to end sit-down dining and closed other businesses.

A total of 113 people applied in Asotin County in the week that ended March 21, along with another 282 people in Whitman County and nine in Garfield County, compared with only 18 a year earlier in the three counties combined.

Economists at the Washington State Employment Security Department are sorting through the numbers to understand what they mean.

“It’s a fast-moving event and it’s hard to make predictions,” said Doug Tweedy, a regional economist with the department, who has been following the region’s job market for more than two decades.

The 404 individuals in southeastern Washington were among 133,464 people in the Evergreen State seeking financial relief after losing jobs in the midst of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to numbers released this week.

“This is a record, unfortunately,” Tweedy said. “It’s above any other event.”

In Idaho, 13,341 new unemployment claims were filed the week that ended March 21, and state officials anticipate sharing county-by-county data next week.

The job losses in Washington were greatest in the category of food services and accommodations, followed by health care and social assistance.

So far, experts don’t have enough data to know if the trends in southeastern Washington mirror the rest of the state, Tweedy said.

But one thing they are looking at is why health care was hit so deeply, Tweedy said.

Some of those losses were at dental offices that were advised by the Washington State Department of Health to postpone all elective dental procedures.

It could also be because day care centers fall into the health care category, said Ajsa Suljic, a regional labor economist at the employment security department who watches Asotin and Garfield counties.

Which types of jobs are being lost is just part of what Tweedy, Suljic and other economists are examining.

They are also looking at what types of employers continue to hire, which so far seem to include a number of industries on the list of essential businesses.

That list, Tweedy said, is a good starting point for people who are out of work who can see if their skills fit with any of those industries.

In addition, economists are wondering about how long the coronavirus pandemic will last, because that will play a large role in the impact it has on the economy.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.