The Tri-Cities labor market in March was the tightest it’s been since November 2024 and the unemployment rate was the lowest it has ever been for that time of year.

Labor market data released by the state Employment Security Department (ESD) had the Tri-Cities metro area unemployment rate at 5%, a 1.3 percentage point drop from February.

The number of employed people, at 142,208, is the lowest it’s been since January 2024, while the number of unemployed people, at 7,094, is the lowest since October 2024.

The region's March unemployment rate has been above 5% for as long as ESD records indicate.