Washington’s unemployment rate dropped for the third month in a row to hit another record low of 4.4 percent in April, according to the state Employment Security Department.
The unemployment rate is the lowest since comparable record-keeping began in 1976.
Washington employers added 2,900 nonfarm jobs (seasonally adjusted) last month. At the same time, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point from March’s 4.6 percent.

Industry sectors with the largest employment growth in April were professional and business services, with 2,100 new jobs, construction, up 900, and “other services,” such as membership organizations, up 500 new jobs.

The sectors that posted declines in April were manufacturing, down 900, financial activities, down 100, and government, down 100.

On a yearly comparison, more than 64,400 net new jobs were created in Washington from April 2006 to April 2007. Nonfarm job growth increased by 2.3 percent, compared to a national rate of 1.4 percent.

An estimated 145,400 people (not seasonally adjusted) currently are unemployed and seeking work in Washington, down more than 23,000 from March.