Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Washington
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 June of this year, national unemployment is at 3.5%, 0.1% lower than in May, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.8% in Minnesota, to 4.9% in New Mexico and 5.5% 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 June 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.
You may also like: The Black homeownership gap in Washington

#39. King County
--- 1 month change: +0.5%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
-Total Labor Force: 1,326,554 (35,988 unemployed)
#38. Snohomish County
--- 1 month change: +0.6%
--- 1 year change: -2.4%
-Total Labor Force: 452,355 (14,073 unemployed)
#37. Asotin County
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
-Total Labor Force: 10,610 (393 unemployed)
#36. Adams County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
-Total Labor Force: 10,937 (413 unemployed)

#35. San Juan County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
-Total Labor Force: 7,913 (323 unemployed)
You may also like: Counties with highest COVID-19 infection rates in Washington

#34. Chelan County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
-Total Labor Force: 46,023 (1,900 unemployed)
#33. Walla Walla County
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
-Total Labor Force: 31,716 (1,334 unemployed)
#32. Kitsap County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
-Total Labor Force: 128,889 (5,495 unemployed)

#31. Spokane County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
-Total Labor Force: 265,178 (11,579 unemployed)

#30. Thurston County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
-Total Labor Force: 145,875 (6,518 unemployed)
You may also like: Washington is the #2 state where delivery drivers are paid the most
#29. Benton County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
-Total Labor Force: 110,777 (4,978 unemployed)
#28. Clark County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
-Total Labor Force: 251,012 (11,314 unemployed)
#27. Douglas County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
-Total Labor Force: 23,105 (1,047 unemployed)
#26. Columbia County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
-Total Labor Force: 1,809 (82 unemployed)
#25. Island County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
-Total Labor Force: 36,579 (1,699 unemployed)
You may also like: Most popular boy names in the 60s in Washington
#24. Lincoln County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
-Total Labor Force: 4,432 (211 unemployed)

#23. Whatcom County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
-Total Labor Force: 116,104 (5,579 unemployed)
#22. Skamania County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
-Total Labor Force: 5,579 (277 unemployed)
#21. Pierce County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
-Total Labor Force: 450,735 (22,551 unemployed)

#20. Skagit County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
-Total Labor Force: 62,786 (3,188 unemployed)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Washington, D.C. that don't require a college degree
#19. Klickitat County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
-Total Labor Force: 10,210 (528 unemployed)
#18. Jefferson County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
-Total Labor Force: 12,993 (675 unemployed)

#17. Grant County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
-Total Labor Force: 49,426 (2,600 unemployed)
#16. Franklin County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
-Total Labor Force: 47,490 (2,539 unemployed)
#15. Cowlitz County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
-Total Labor Force: 49,357 (2,677 unemployed)
You may also like: Highest NFL draft picks from Washington
#14. Clallam County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
-Total Labor Force: 29,724 (1,619 unemployed)
#13. Okanogan County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
-Total Labor Force: 19,973 (1,095 unemployed)
#12. Yakima County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
-Total Labor Force: 139,283 (7,642 unemployed)
#11. Whitman County
--- 1 month change: +1.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.5%
-Total Labor Force: 20,186 (1,122 unemployed)
#10. Lewis County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
-Total Labor Force: 35,168 (1,965 unemployed)
You may also like: Least educated counties in Washington
#9. Stevens County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
-Total Labor Force: 19,301 (1,109 unemployed)
#8. Kittitas County
--- 1 month change: +0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
-Total Labor Force: 21,754 (1,250 unemployed)
#7. Mason County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
-Total Labor Force: 25,495 (1,538 unemployed)
#6. Garfield County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.6%
-Total Labor Force: 823 (50 unemployed)
#5. Pend Oreille County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
-Total Labor Force: 5,185 (317 unemployed)
You may also like: Best colleges in Washington
#4. Wahkiakum County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
-Total Labor Force: 1,346 (86 unemployed)
#3. Pacific County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
-Total Labor Force: 8,325 (560 unemployed)
#2. Grays Harbor County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
-Total Labor Force: 28,564 (1,949 unemployed)
#1. Ferry County
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
-Total Labor Force: 2,361 (192 unemployed)