Washington’s labor market has remained strong amidst national tech layoffs and indicators of a recession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, high hiring rates and low job desertion have kept the state’s job market strong, even after a decrease in position openings in May.
Although Washington’s job openings shrank by 24,000 from April to May, the state hired 30,000 more people than it let go or lost, resulting in a net positive effect for the region.
“That means our labor force is growing,” said Jacob Vigdor, a University of Washington economist. “We have more people starting jobs than finishing jobs, so it looks like things are going up in Washington state.”