Jobless claims in Washington fall for sixth straight week as state gets new money

New unemployment claims in Washington state fell for the sixth consecutive week and hiring has picked up in some sectors. But experts warned that a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 recession may not emerge anytime soon.

Workers in Washington filed 18,389 new, or initial, claims for regular unemployment insurance during the week ending Aug. 22, the state Employment Security Department (ESD) reported Thursday. That’s down 16.2% from the prior week and 36% from a month ago.