Counties with the highest unemployment in Washington
In November, the national unemployment rate changed very little from October, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%. It's been slightly elevated in recent months compared to levels a year ago—likely a symptom of the Federal Reserve's higher interest rates, which can slow hiring and decrease job openings. It's up from 3.7% the year before, but for comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Washington using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in October 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the labor market added 227,000 jobs in November, according to the BLS.
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with 50,000 jobs added in education and health services and another 28,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities, according to ADP's National Employment Report. While Sun Belt states saw growth in manufacturing roles, other jobs diminished in the sector across the Rust Belt, which continues to see losses.
The labor market forecast for 2025 is still somewhat uncertain. The reelection of Donald Trump and his proposal to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico may send ripples throughout the economy. A tariff increase could create an inflationary environment, shifting the labor market as inflation inches toward the 2% goal.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Washington.
#25. Whatcom County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 111,995 people (4,897 unemployed)
#24. Lincoln County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,490 people (203 unemployed)
#23. Klickitat County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,821 people (438 unemployed)
#22. Clark County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 240,537 people (10,771 unemployed)
#21. Snohomish County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 460,926 people (20,907 unemployed)
#20. Skamania County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,394 people (249 unemployed)
#19. Island County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,078 people (1,674 unemployed)
#18. Franklin County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,321 people (1,960 unemployed)
#17. Skagit County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,641 people (2,824 unemployed)
#16. Columbia County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,704 people (80 unemployed)
#15. Kittitas County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,797 people (1,082 unemployed)
#14. Garfield County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 747 people (36 unemployed)
#13. Pierce County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 446,297 people (21,476 unemployed)
#12. Cowlitz County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,736 people (2,345 unemployed)
#11. Yakima County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 127,371 people (6,180 unemployed)
#10. Stevens County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,955 people (942 unemployed)
#9. Jefferson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,006 people (614 unemployed)
#8. Pend Oreille County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,046 people (264 unemployed)
#7. Mason County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,578 people (1,365 unemployed)
#6. Lewis County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,431 people (1,791 unemployed)
#5. Clallam County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,680 people (1,564 unemployed)
#4. Pacific County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,192 people (482 unemployed)
#3. Grays Harbor County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,598 people (1,752 unemployed)
#2. Wahkiakum County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,289 people (84 unemployed)
#1. Ferry County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,266 people (158 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
