The state Employment Security Department released its Monthly Employment Report today. According to preliminary estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the state gained 71,500 jobs, net, seasonally adjusted (SA), from May to June. This estimate is based on BLS’s monthly survey of employers, which counts as employed all persons who received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th day of the month. The estimate of April to May employment growth was increased to 146,400 from the originally reported 52,500.

BLS estimates that the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett metro area (King and Snohomish counties, which account for a bit more than one-half of all jobs in the state) gained 25,400 jobs (SA) from May to June, while the rest of the state gained 45,600 (SA). Here is a chart showing monthly employment in the two regions since January 1990.

BLS estimates the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state for June to be 9.8 percent, down from 15.1 percent in May. BLS unemployment rate estimates are based a monthly survey of households conducted for BLS by the Census Bureau. The reference period for this survey is the calendar week that includes the 12th day of the month.

For the Seattle metro area, the estimated June unemployment rate is 9.8 percent (SA) down from 14.5 percent (SA, revised) for May. For the rest of the state, the estimated June unemployment rate is 10.3 percent (SA), down from the revised May estimate, 15.5 percent (SA).

The full report is available here.