PORT ANGELES – Clallam County’s unemployment rate shot up to nearly 19 percent last month.

According to the state Employment Security Department, that’s up from March’s six percent, as nearly six thousand people were unemployed in Clallam County last month.  About four thousand Clallam County residents filed first-time unemployment claims.

Like the rest of the state, Clallam County saw the effect of layoffs from the coronavirus shut down that began in late March.

Neighboring Jefferson County saw its unemployment rate soar to over 17 percent in April.

Statewide the unemployment rate shot up to 15 percent.