Cowlitz County’s unemployment jumped another point in February to 14.4 percent, nearly double the 7.8 rate of a year ago, the state Employment Security Department reported Tuesday.

The county’s rate remains the highest in about 25 years, but the news from February wasn’t all bad, either.

Nonfarm employment rose by 100 jobs last month, matching the seasonal trend. However, nonfarm employment is down 2.2 percent from last year, according to Employment Security.

Most employment sectors in Cowlitz County — such as manufacturing, education and finance — added jobs or remained steady month-to-month.

About 6,600 county residents were jobless and seeking work. But the number of residents filing continued unemployment claims fell by 300 to 3,099, which is good news, said Scott Bailey, regional economist for Employment Security. That’s still nearly twice as many as last February.

The main reason the February rate went up is statistical: The size of the labor force increased statewide, and Cowlitz County was part of that, Bailey said.

Over the last year, the county’s manufacturing sector is down 300 jobs, construction and mining lost 100 jobs and leisure and hospitality dropped 100 jobs.

The 14.4 percent rate does not include the 19 job cuts at Weyerhaeuser’s Longview saw mill or the 13 positions eliminated at Lower Columbia College earlier this month.

However, the county’s unemployment rate should start to drop now as the construction season begins, Bailey said.

“We’ll just hope there’s no more bad news for a while,” Bailey said.

Statewide, unemployment rose to 8.4 percent in February, up from 7.8 percent the previous month, according to Employment Security.

Also in February, unemployment:

• Rose to 14.6 percent in Wahkiakum County, up from 13.8 percent in January and up from 7 percent in February 2008.

• Dropped to 12.8 percent in Skamania County, down from 14.2 percent in January and up from 9.5 percent in February 2008.

• Increased to 13.9 percent in Lewis County, up from 12.9 percent in January and up from 9.1 percent in February 2008.