San Juan County officials recognize that businesses are struggling to keep their workers employed as COVID-19's impacts remain.
"Life is painfully hard for our businesses and workers — we currently have the worst job losses in the state," San Juan County Economic Development Council Executive Director Victoria Compton said, the Islands' Sounder reported in December.
From September 2019 to September 2020, the employment numbers in San Juan County have dropped by 23%, the Islands' Sounder reported — the highest reduction in Washington.
"These figures are markedly worse than previous downturns, including the Great Recession," Compton said, the Islands' Sounder reported.
The economic director said that part of the problem is the reliance on a "couple of swing-vulnerable industries tends to wallop us in downturns."
The county, Compton said that its temporary assistance for households has increased 143% while the hotel/motel tax and retail sales have decreased 44% and 22%, respectively, the Islands' Sounder reported.
"we're reminded that our reliance on just a couple of swing-vulnerable industries tends to wallop us in downturns than other Washington counties weather better — in some cases, much better — and it takes our economy longer to recover," Compton said, the Islands' Sounder reported.
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