Total employment in the Spokane-Spokane Valley metropolitan statistical area ticked upward to 279,400 in May, nearly 4,500 more than a year earlier, preliminary figures from the Washington state Employment Security Department show.

Even with an increase in total employment, the unemployment rate came in at 4.4%, up from 3.4% a year earlier, as more people currently are looking for work.

The MSA is comprised of Spokane, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties, with Spokane being the population center for the tri-county MSA. Nearly 4,100 of the additional jobs reported in the preliminary figures were in Spokane County, and 300 of them were in Stevens County, while Pend Oreille County gained 75 jobs.

As ESD reported earlier this month, Washington state gained about 48,800 jobs between May 2023 and last month.