Washington Unemployment Rate Hits 4 Year Low

The unemployment rate in Washington dropped to 7.6 percent in December, its lowest point in four years, according to the state Employment Security Department. But the agency cautioned some of the drop is the result of people ending their job search.

The unemployment rate reflects the share of the total labor force that is unemployed and looking for work. People who quit looking are not counted as part of the labor force in determining the unemployment rate.

Overall, the state has been recovering from the Great Recession, gaining back about 115,000 of the 205,000 jobs lost over the past three years. For the full jobs report see here.