Washington jobless rate falls for first time in three years

Washington's unemployment rate fell during April for the first time in more than three years, backed by an increase of 5,800 jobs. The rate went from 9.5 percent during March to 9.2 percent during April.

The last time the unemployment rate declined was March 2007, when the rate moved from 4.5 percent to 4.4 percent, a record low in Washington. Since then, the rate has stayed the same or increased for 36 straight months.

With the April job gains, Washington has added jobs in three of the first four months of 2010, for a net gain of 14,800 jobs so far this year.

Industries that added jobs last month were leisure and hospitality, up 1,800; government, up 1,600 (mostly temporary census jobs); construction, up 1,400; retail trade, up 1,300; manufacturing, up 1,200; information, up 500; education and health services, up 300; and wholesale trade, up 100.

Jobs were lost in financial activities, down 1,400; transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 500; other services, down 300; and professional and business services, down 200.

Year over year, Washington had 48,400 fewer jobs last month than during April 2009, a 1.7 percent decrease. Nationally, employment declined by 1.7 percent over the past year