Job Growth

Sources: Quarterly Census of Employment of Wages, Puget Sound Regional Council; Current Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics (March 2012); Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Not Seasonally Adjusted (March 2012)

Key Findings

Seattle covered employment is projected to total 469,500 jobs in March of 2011, which includes 387,500 private sector jobs and 82,000 public sector jobs. Private sector jobs account for 83% of all Seattle jobs.

Projected citywide jobs are up 1.6% from 2010 to 2011, based on Seattle MSA job trends. The private sector is projected to have gained 8,400 jobs, a 2.2% increase.

Citywide covered employment declined from a recent peak in March 2008 of 496,900 to a recent low in March 2010 of 462,200, a decline of 7.0%. For projected 2011 employment, jobs are down 6.0% since 2000 (502,900).

City of Seattle unemployment is 7.0% in 2011 Q4, the latest unemployment figure available. Seattle unemployment is 0.7% lower than the Seattle Metropolitan Area and 1.6% lower than Washington State in 2011 Q4.

Notes:

• Covered employment is for March of the given year. Covered employment consists of employment covered by the Washington Unemployment Insurance Act, and excludes self-employed workers, proprietors, CEOs, and other non-insured workers. Typically, covered employment has represented 85-90% of total employment. City employment estimates use PSRC yearly estimates, released in June the following year.
• 2011 Seattle employment is projected using Seattle MSA (Seattle-Bellevue-Everett) Monthly Current Employment Statistics. Seattle MSA CES are Non-Seasonally Adjusted and were obtained in March 2012. Projections are subject to revision.
• Unemployment rates are non-seasonally adjusted annual and quarterly averages.