Unemployment Rates Jump in North Central Washington

Unemployment rates skyrocketed for the month of December in North Central Washington. Chelan County had the best figure and the least amount of unemployment increase going from 4.5 percent in November to 5.6 percent in December. Douglas County was more than 1.5 percent to 6.6 percent unemployment in December. Grant County was up nearly three percent to 8.1 percent unemployment for the month. And Okanogan County was up more than two percent to 8.2 percent unemployment for December. Nine counties in Washington have unemployment rates of five percent or less, but only two of them are east of the Cascades.