OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington’s unemployment rate has dropped for the first time in nearly two years.
The Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) reports the state added roughly 21,100 seasonally-adjusted jobs in July.
That caused its unemployment rate to fall from 5.2% in June to 5% in July. It was the first time the state’s non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate decreased since November 2024.
According to ESD, it was also the state’s third straight month of job gains and the most added in over a year and a half.
The private sector saw most of the job growth, while the public sector lost about 1,400 jobs.
Most of those private sector gains were seen in education and health services, leisure and hospitality and professional and business services.
Whatcom County’s July jobs report is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
