Grays Harbor and Ferry counties tied for the worst unemployment rates in the state in June at 12.4%.

Pacific County was the next highest rate at 12.2%, according to numbers released by the state Employment Security Department.

Grays Harbor County jumped from a 2020 low unemployment rate of 6.8% in March to 19.3% in April. That number declined slightly to 19.1% in May, and 12.4% in June. State statistics put the number of unemployed for June at 3,634 for Grays Harbor, with a workforce listed at 29,221.

Historically speaking, April and May were the worst unemployment rates for the county in the last 20 years. In January 1993, the rate was just below 18%, according to Employment Security.

In June of this year, unemployment rates in surrounding counties included Thurston at 9%, Jefferson at 10.6%, Lewis at 10.3%, and Mason County at 10.4%.

Statewide

According to Employment Security, statewide the economy grew by 71,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate decreased to 9.8%.

Since the week ending March 7 when COVID-19 job losses began, a total of 2,283,609 initial claims have been filed during the pandemic — 1,438,620 regular unemployment insurance; 453,085 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance; and 391,692 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claims.

A total of 1,261,075 distinct individuals have filed for unemployment benefits, and Employment Security has paid out over $7.6 billion in benefits to the 920,153 individuals who have filed an initial claim have been paid.

“Over the past several weeks we’ve seen new claims continue to fluctuate as the economy moves with the shifting realities of this pandemic,” said Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine.

During the week of July 5 through July 11, there were 40,466 initial regular unemployment claims — up 42.5% from the prior week — and 706,309 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories — down 4.1% from the prior week — filed by Washingtonians, according to Employment Security.

Initial regular claims applications remain at unprecedented elevated levels and are at 549% above last year’s weekly new claims applications, said the agency. Employment Security paid out over $490.4 million for 423,697 individual claims — an increase of $19.8 million and 19,223 more individual claims compared to the prior week.