Kittitas County

• -- Current employment/unemployment report
• -- Current County Labor Market Profile
• -- Statistical Profile

Yakima County

• -- Current employment/unemployment report
• -- Current County Labor Market Profile
• -- Statistical Profile

Klickitat County

• -- Current employment/unemployment report
• -- Current Klickitat County Labor Market Profile
• -- Kilckitat County Statistical Profile

Skamania County

• -- Current employment/unemployment report
• -- Current Skamania County Labor Market Profile
• -- Skamania County Statistical Profile

At Workforce Explorer, you can find lots of statistical information about specific careers, occupations and industries, along with the education, training and/or experience needed for each. The official source for labor market information for the State of Washington. Find economic information to help you make informed decisions.

A nontraditional occupation is any occupation where 75 percent or more of the workers are of the opposite gender as the jobseeker.

Today, a man or woman can hold any job. This wasn't always true. Not long ago, people thought men and women could only fill certain jobs, often called "traditional" jobs. People thought "nontraditional" occupations involved women doing intense physical work with male co-workers. The truth is there are many nontraditional options available. The table below has a few examples.

Old-fashioned ideas about nontraditional work often confuse jobseekers. Women may think nontraditional careers are dangerous or dirty. Men may feel nontraditional careers don't pay well. The truth is very different.

Examples of nontraditional occupations for women that aren't dirty or dangerous include architect, clergy member and civil engineer. Men can earn great wages in nontraditional work. For example, on average, registered nurses earn $23.40 an hour and librarians earn $20.14 an hour. Other myths that have been dispelled are the belief that women are not strong enough for nontraditional work, or that men lack a nurturing personality to work in nursing and childcare.

Choosing a nontraditional job can have great advantages. Women usually earn more than they would in traditional occupations. For example, computer engineers earn about $28.80 an hour and carpenters $17.50 an hour. Men might find a nontraditional occupation increases their job satisfaction. This can happen when you're doing what you want and not what you think you have to do.

Source: Minnesota Workforce Centers