April 24--WENATCHEE -- Sporting events here fueled a surge in spring tourism and retail spending that helped shrink the March jobless rate to 8.7 percent in Chelan and Douglas counties, the lowest for the month in five years.

"Employment gains are happening in all the right sectors as the North Central Washington economy steadily makes its way towards more robust times," said Regional Labor Economist Mark Berreth. "The overall picture? Very positive."

The state Employment Security Department released county job numbers Tuesday, a week after the agency posted a statewide March unemployment rate of 7.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

The Winter Special Olympics, western ski championships at Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort and region-wide tournaments in basketball, hockey and lacrosse -- all held here in March -- brought thousands of athletes and supporters to area hotels, restaurants and shops and boosted employment along the way, said Berreth.

The Wenatchee Valley Sports Council announced earlier this month that sports tourism spending for the first quarter of 2013 was up 18.4 percent above last year, for a total of $2.1 million in the first three months of the year.

In Chelan and Douglas counties, the only glitch in the upbeat March report, said Berreth, was slow growth in the labor force. In year-over-year figures, the two-county labor force showed only a 0.1 percent rise (60 jobs) as discouraged workers withdrew from seeking jobs or moved elsewhere for work. The labor force includes both employed and unemployed workers in the region.

Sectors showing gains in Chelan and Douglas counties were transportation and utilities with a 9 percent increase (800 jobs) over the same period last year, tourism with an 8.2 percent rise (400 jobs), retail with a 5.5 percent jump (300 jobs) and private services, including financial and communications jobs, with a 4 percent increase (nearly 100 jobs).

Other sectors showed marginal gains or remained flat, reported Berreth, with federal and state government jobs showing no gains as sequestration cutbacks took effect.

In Okanogan County, last month's unemployment rate fell to 11.5 percent, a 0.3 percent drop from March 2012. Wholesale trade led all sectors with a 28.6 percent rise (60 jobs) over the same month last year, while transportation and utilities posted a 14.3 percent jump (20 jobs) and manufacturing an 8.6 percent jump (30 jobs). Year over year, construction lost 40 jobs as employment for the sector fell 6 percent.

In Grant County, the March jobless rate dropped 0.6 percent to hit 10.6 percent. Information activities, mostly in data centers, showed a 15.2 percent gain (150 jobs) with transportation and utilities posting a 5.4 percent jump (300 jobs). Manufacturing was down 1.3 percent for a loss of 70 jobs.

Mike Irwin: 665-1179

[email protected]

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