New Tourism, Healthcare Jobs Bring Drop in Local Unemployment Rate
The latest jobs report is in for Chelan and Douglas Counties from the state Employment Security Department. February job stats show continued growth in the tourism and healthcare industries, along with more people in the labor force.
Economist Don Meseck covers North Central Washington and told KOHO’s Dan Langager the local economy has started to settle now a full year since Alcoa idled their Malaga smelter, displacing 400 workers.
Other industries sporting modest job growth are construction, local government and private education. Although manufacturing has not gained any jobs, Meseck said most former Alcoa employees have been able to find new jobs, training programs or went back to school.