The Tri-Cities added a few hundred workers to unemployment rolls between April and May, with thousands further unemployed compared to a month ago and the same time last year. 

County-level data from the state Employment Security Department had a total labor force of 143,085 workers combined between Benton and Franklin counties. More than 136,000 of those workers were employed while 6,574, or 4.6%, had filed for unemployment benefits. 

While both counties saw their individual unemployment rates jump, Benton County saw the biggest increase, both in percentage and total number of unemployed workers. In May the county had 4,309 workers, or 4.4% of its labor force, reporting as unemployed. That was 249 workers more than in April, or a 0.4 percentage point increase. 

Franklin County’s unemployment was at 5%, or 2,265 workers, in May, compared to 4.9%, or 2,195 workers, in April. 

The shifts largely came from the agricultural sector, as nonfarm employment increased by several hundred positions between April and May. However, sectors including manufacturing, financial services, professional services and leisure and hospitality saw declines in positions.