WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. -- More people were waiting in the unemployment line in Whatcom County last month.

The state Employment Security Department says the jobless rate in July was 7.6 percent, up from 7.3 percent in June.

Regional Economist Elizabeth Court with the Employment Security Department says the latest jobless numbers are still showing an improvement over last year.



The county's unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in July of last year. Most of the job losses last month occurred in the public sector.

The county actually saw a gain in private-sector jobs, especially in manufacturing and construction.