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Declining Unemployment Rate Gets Stuck In Recent Months In WA & Oregon

The state unemployment rate in Washington and Oregon was falling at a steady pace in recent years. But lately it's stuck. The latest reading from Washington state released today (Weds.) pegs the state unemployment rate at 5-point-3 percent. That's the same it's been since June. Oregon's jobless rate actually edged up slightly last month to 6.1 percent, as new jobseekers outpaced job creation.

Washington state labor economist Paul Turek says the unemployment rate will probably resume its decline in autumn.

”It will be interesting to see what transpires for the remainder of the year. The expectation is that job growth will continue,” said Turek. “It may not be as robust for instance as it has been previously, but it should be above trend."

Idaho reports its latest jobs numbers on Friday.

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Correspondent Tom Banse is an Olympia-based reporter with more than three decades of experience covering Washington and Oregon state government, public policy, business and breaking news stories. Most of his career was spent with public radio's Northwest News Network, but now in semi-retirement his work is appearing on other outlets.