Gov. Gregoire�s statement on Washington state job growth

For Immediate Release: February 29, 2012

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on Washington state�s job growth:

�Our employment picture continues to improve and today is further proof of that. We are seeing real and consistent signs of recovery. In 2011 Washington state gained an estimated 53,500 jobs. From the low point of the recession the state has regained about 98,000 jobs. These numbers are coupled with our decreasing unemployment rate, down significantly from a high of 10.2 percent in early 2010. That is good news and indicates we are in recovery, but we�ve still got to get thousands of Washingtonians back to work.

�Over the past three years we have employed several strategies to bring businesses to Washington, support our existing businesses, and help our out of work Washingtonians. As employers add jobs, I hope they will make it a priority to hire unemployed workers who were displaced by the recession. There are thousands of people with great work history who would make loyal, hard-working employees.�