Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Washington

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Washington

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Washington using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

#39. Asotin County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 10,579 (302 unemployed)

#38. King County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 1,327,753 (38,806 unemployed)

#37. San Juan County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 8,727 (251 unemployed)

#36. Adams County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 10,745 (333 unemployed)

#35. Chelan County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 45,881 (1,480 unemployed)

#34. Snohomish County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 452,604 (14,875 unemployed)

#33. Walla Walla County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 31,677 (1,068 unemployed)

#32. Whitman County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 23,281 (823 unemployed)

#31. Douglas County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 22,394 (802 unemployed)

#30. Kitsap County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 128,342 (4,625 unemployed)

#29. Lincoln County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 4,667 (174 unemployed)

#28. Spokane County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 263,288 (9,833 unemployed)

#27. Benton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 107,561 (4,071 unemployed)

#26. Clark County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 252,069 (9,516 unemployed)

#25. Thurston County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 145,111 (5,469 unemployed)

#24. Columbia County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 1,812 (70 unemployed)

#23. Skamania County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 5,617 (221 unemployed)

#22. Island County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 36,427 (1,454 unemployed)

#21. Whatcom County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 113,906 (4,574 unemployed)

#20. Skagit County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 62,595 (2,564 unemployed)

#19. Garfield County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 826 (35 unemployed)

#18. Grant County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 49,634 (2,060 unemployed)

#17. Klickitat County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 10,020 (422 unemployed)

#16. Pierce County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 449,121 (19,136 unemployed)

#15. Yakima County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 139,224 (6,145 unemployed)

#14. Franklin County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 45,339 (2,019 unemployed)

#13. Jefferson County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 12,787 (577 unemployed)

#12. Okanogan County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 19,919 (902 unemployed)

#11. Kittitas County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 21,453 (986 unemployed)

#10. Clallam County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 29,439 (1,375 unemployed)

#9. Cowlitz County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 48,822 (2,303 unemployed)

#8. Lewis County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 34,811 (1,645 unemployed)

#7. Stevens County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 19,084 (922 unemployed)

#6. Pend Oreille County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 5,135 (270 unemployed)

#5. Mason County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 24,817 (1,338 unemployed)

#4. Wahkiakum County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 1,326 (76 unemployed)

#3. Grays Harbor County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 28,628 (1,664 unemployed)

#2. Pacific County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.8%
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 8,737 (593 unemployed)

#1. Ferry County

- Current unemployment rate: 7.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 2,262 (164 unemployed)

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