County unemployment rate rises compared to 2018 figures

Brandon Cline, Managing Editor | Last updated Jul 18, 2019 7:42am0

Courtesy of the Washington Employment Security Department count

The unemployment rate in Adams County for 2017-19.

A recent report from Washington's Employment Security Department showed that unemployment in Adams County has risen mildly in the first five months of 2019, in comparison to 2018 data.

In May of this year, Adams County had an unemployment rate of 4.9%, while the unemployment rate in May of 2018 was 4.2%. The unemployment rate in January and February of this year was lower than it was in 2018, but is higher in March, April and May than it was last year.

Nonfarm employers in the county provided 5,970 jobs in May of this year, down 1.2% compared to the 6,040 nonfarm jobs in May of 2018. Of the 5,970 nonfarm jobs in Adams County, 4,250 of those jobs are in the private sector, while the other 1,720 jobs are government jobs in the public sector.

Manufacturing employment in the county decreased from 1,130 jobs to 1,070 jobs year-over-year, and has decreased in every month this year. Around 85-90% of the manufacturing jobs in the county are with food manufacturers and processors.

On a more positive note, the private education and health services industry has flourished in Adams County, adding jobs in that industry in 20 consecutive months. Between May of 2018 and May of 2019 the industry netted 60 new jobs, up 8.7%. In all, the education and health services industry accounts for 17.7% of all jobs in the private sector.

Over a 10-year period, from 2008 to 2018, total covered employment in Adams County rose from 6,834 jobs to 8,637, a 26.4% upturn. The number of agricultural jobs-a subset of total covered employment-increased from 1,412 jobs in 2008 to 2,774 in 2018, an uptrend of almost 97%.

In 2008, the agriculture industry accounted for 20.7% of total covered employment. In 2018, it accounted for 32.1% of total covered employment. According to ESD regional labor economist Don Meseck, this data implies that the agricultural footprint on Adams County's labor economy has surged over the past decade.

Total covered wages, which are not adjusted for inflation, rose from $205 million in 2008 to $340.4 million in 2018, a 66% upturn. The agriculture industry had an even sharper rise in wages, going from $35.8 million in 2008 to $88.6 million in 2018, an astonishing 143.2% uptrend.