By CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Staff Writer

RITZVILLE — While Adams County’s August unemployment rate was higher in 2020 than 2019, it’s dropping from highs earlier this year.

The unemployment rate for August was 6.2 percent, up from 4 percent for August 2019. But that is lower than July’s 8.8 percent, and down dramatically from May’s 12.1 percent.

Don Meseck, regional labor economist for the Washington Department of Employment Security, said it’s the highest unemployment rate in Adams County for August since 2013.

Most of the nonfarm job loss was in the government sector, Meseck said, which in Adams County includes public health and public schools. The government sector lost 530 jobs, year over year. That’s a 29.8 percent downturn.

However, Meseck added, the results are estimates from samples, and relatively small samples at that. The current unemployment data in the government sector is “almost certain to be revised when more information becomes available,” he said.

The private health and private education sector added jobs in August, when measured year over year, Meseck said. Private health and education gained 80 jobs between August 2019 and August 2020, a 10.8 percent increase.

In Adams County, employment in the transportation, warehousing and utilities sector has increased every month, when measured year over year, since the COVID-19 outbreak began in mid-March. That sector gained 130 jobs between August 2019 and August 2020, a 33 percent increase. Meseck said most of the increase likely came from hiring at agriculture-related transportation, warehouse and storage businesses.

Retail trade added 20 jobs, year over year, and the leisure and hospitality sector lost 10 jobs between the Augusts. The construction sector lost 10 jobs, and the manufacturing sector gained 10 jobs, when measured year over year.

Agriculture always has played a crucial role in Adams County’s economy, and that’s still the case in 2020. Agriculture employment is tracked on a 10-year basis, with 2019 being the last year for which statistics are available.

Employment is measured in “covered wages,” ag jobs that are covered by unemployment insurance. Agriculture accounted for 33 percent of total covered wage jobs in Adams County in 2019, a 33 percent increase from 2009.