Washington jobless rate holds steady at 5.8 percent

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state added an estimated 8,700 jobs last month and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.8 percent.


In numbers released Wednesday by the state Employment Security Department, officials said the May jobless rate matches April's numbers. The national unemployment rate for May was 4.7 percent.

Officials said that during the one-year period ending in May, 101,700 jobs have been added statewide. The biggest job gains in May were seen in professional and business services.

Job losses were seen in leisure and hospitality.