The state Employment Security Department issued its employment report for May yesterday. The preliminary estimate is that seasonally adjusted employment in Washington increased by 7,700 from April to May. The estimate of March to April job growth was revised down to a gain of 7,800 jobs from the gain of 8,200 jobs previously announced.

The preliminary estimate of May’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state is 5.4 percent. The estimate of April’s unemployment rate is unchanged at 5.5 percent.

Year-over-year employment growth was 3.65 percent in both April and May. The state last saw percentage growth this great in 1998.

The May employment report is available here.