Wenatchee Unemployment Down, But Unchanged From Year Ago

The Wenatchee area unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, down from 7.2 percent in the previous month, and unchanged from a year ago. 

Total non-farm jobs are up slightly month over month but have increased more sharply from the same time last year. 

Comparisons of employment levels in major Wenatchee industries show all have either added jobs or stabilized over the past year, which the State Employment Security Department calls encouraging news for the local economy. 

Growth industries in Wenatchee include manufacturing, which is up 7.7 percent over a year ago; trade, transportation, warehousing and utilities (up 4.1 percent); leisure and hospitality (up 4.7 percent) and especially Federal (up 14.3 percent) and local (up 7 percent) government. 

Also, year-over-year job growth rates have been slightly faster in the Wenatchee area than statewide. 

The Wenatchee area is comprised of Chelan and Douglas counties as measured by the Employment Security Department. 

Current estimates indicate the labor force grew by 2.0 percent over the past year. However, the number of unemployed people increased by 2.9 percent over the same time period. 

The increase in the number of unemployed exactly countered the year-over-year labor force growth, causing the local unemployment rate to stabilize at 5.4 in both 2023 and 2022. 

Additionally, the local labor force has expanded or stabilized in each of the past five months compared with corresponding pre-COVID months in 2019 and early 2020.