Despite rough winter weather, Clark County employers continued to add new jobs in February thanks to a boost from the local business and professional services sector.
Employers created 600 new jobs last month with half of those positions in professional services, administrative and technical services and business management, reported the Washington Employment Security Department.
Year-over-year, the sector has added 700 new jobs, as a growing roster of companies with administrative and/or headquarters operations in Vancouver. Among them are Nautilus Inc., nLight Photonics, PeaceHealth, WaferTech and Fisher Investments.
In addition, when Banfield Pet Hospital moved its corporate headquarters from Portland to Vancouver last year, 650 new jobs came with it. Banfield also operates a call center and training facilities at its 206,000-square-foot headquarters at 18101 SE Sixth Way.
Other jobs within the business services category are those in accounting, architectural firms, employment agencies and legal services. Economic expansion has meant that local construction companies, retailers and financial service businesses are seeking support staffing.
“With the low unemployment rate and continued strong economic growth, we are seeing across the board demand from employers to fill job openings,” said Eric Schubert, managing partner of Express Employment Professionals in Vancouver. “Right now, we have 45 openings… that’s the highest total I’ve seen in 14 years in the business.”
Schubert said employers are having to wait a bit longer for staffing agencies to find qualified people to fill their openings.
“On average, to fill a job in light industry will take us six days, an administration position will take seven days,” he said. “For a professional position, it might be four weeks to find the right candidate.”
Employers throughout the Portland-Vancouver metro area added a total of 6,500 jobs in February, said the Oregon Employment Department. Year-over-year metro-wide job growth totaled 23,000.
The region’s jobless rate has dropped to 3.5 percent, the lowest metro-wide unemployment rate since 1990 when comparable records were first kept.
Scott Bailey, labor analyst for the Washington Employment Security Department in Vancouver, said job growth in Clark County and metro-wide has slowed a bit from last year’s red hot pace to a more sustainable level.
“I am guessing that we will see growth pop back up with the opening of ilani, the Cowlitz Indian casino near La Center in April,” he said.
Clark County’s employed work force in February totaled 155,600, up 4,400 jobs from a year ago for a 2.9 percent annual growth rate.
In the 12 months through February, the county’s construction industry has added 1,000 new jobs, retail trade and transportation is up 500 jobs and financial services including real estate, insurance, banks and credit unions has added 400 new jobs.
Health care service employers including hospitals and clinics have hired 1,000 new workers.
“Overall we still seem to be in pretty good shape,” Bailey said.
The tight job market is putting pressure on employers to increase wages to attract workers, Schubert said. Increases in the minimum wage are also boosting pay.
“Meanwhile, we are seeing hiring across the board in manufacturing, marketing, engineering, accounting and financing,” Schubert said. “This is a difficult environment for employers and for the staffing industry. We know good people are out there, we know we can still find them.”
Clark County employed workforce:
2017 155,600
2016 151,200
2014 139,800
2010 128,100
2009 132,900
Source: Washington Employment Security Department
