The unemployment rate is down, but so is the civilian labor force. Those are the quick takeaways from the September employment report for the Wenatchee Metropolitan Area, which consists of Chelan and Douglas Counties. The unemployment ate for September was 3-point-2 percent, compared with August's 3-point-9 percent, and 3-point-8 percent a year ago. But when you ask why that number went down, that's when we start running into problems. Regional Labor Economist Don Meseck says it has nothing to do with improving economic conditions, it's just a matter of mathematics:
Meseck says problem industries in the area include construction, which lost one hundred jobs year over year; trade, transportation and warehousing, which lost six hundred jobs, and private services, meaning temporary employment, which lost five hundred jobs. Industries that added jobs include health services, leisure and hospitality, and government.