OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy lost an estimated 4,500 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in April 2026 while the unemployment rate increased slightly to 5.2% from 5.1% in March.
“The labor market has been losing momentum over the past couple years, and that trend has continued into 2026. So far, this calendar year has been characterized by four consecutive months of employment losses” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist with the Employment Security Department.
Vance-Sherman added, “The unemployment rate continues to climb at a steady pace – adding a fraction of a percentage point every couple of months.”
From April 2025 to April 2026, the number of jobs in Washington decreased by 8,300 – a 0.2% decrease.
In April, private sector jobs collectively decreased by 1,500, while the public sector decreased by an estimated 3,000 jobs. The largest one-month sector-level gains in private industry occurred in financial activities (up 900).
Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 69,395 people in April, a decrease of 6,512 from the previous month. Decreases in unemployment claims primarily came from construction, administrative and support and waste management and remediation, and agriculture.
Learn more about Employment Security’s monthly employment reports
Every month, the Employment Security Department publishes preliminary seasonally adjusted estimates for the previous month’s job changes and unemployment. The agency also publishes confirmed data for the month before last.
Go to the Employment Security website to find:
- The entire monthly employment report and publication schedule.
- More labor market information and tools.
- Contact information for labor economists.
National unemployment rate
The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% from March 2026 to April 2026. For comparison, the national unemployment rate (revised) for April 2025 was 4.2%.
Labor force
From March 2026 to April 2026, the number of people who were unemployed statewide increased from 208,996 to 212,533. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed increased from 125,967 to 126,493 during the same time.
The state’s labor force in April was 4,062,296 – an increase of 15,050 people from last April. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force decreased by 1,583 people during the same period.
Labor force is defined as the number of employed and unemployed people over the age of 16. Layoffs and labor force participation are not necessarily connected. When people are laid off but still seeking work, they remain a part of the labor force. A drop in the labor force means people have left work and haven’t been seeking employment for more than four weeks.
Five major industry sectors expanded, seven contracted over the year
Employment losses from March to April were observed in both the private and public sectors. Private sector employment shed 1,500 jobs from March 2026 to April 2026. Government employment decreased by 3,000 during the same time.
The largest one-month sector-level gains in the private industry were in financial activities (up 900 jobs); transportation, warehousing and utilities (up 400); and other services (up 400).
- Financial activities gains were observed throughout the sector, including finance and insurance, and real estate, rental and leasing.
The deepest one-month private sector losses were construction (down 1,300) and professional and business services (down 900).
- Construction losses were concentrated in construction of buildings (down 1,000) and heavy and civil engineering (down 500).
- The deepest losses in professional and business services were attributable to other administrative services.
Table 1: Washington’s total jobs (12-month overview)
| Month | Total jobs (losses or gains) | Unemployment rate | Previous year’s unemployment rate |
| April 2026 | -4,500 | 5.2% | 4.5%* |
| March 2026 | -1,500* | 5.1%* | 4.5%* |
| February 2026 | -500* | 5.1%* | 4.4%* |
| January 2026 | -8,600* | 5.0%* | 4.4%* |
| December 2025 | +14,300* | 4.9%* | 4.3%* |
| November 2025 | +5,600* | 4.9%* | 4.3%* |
| October 2025 | +1,100* | N.A. | 4.4%* |
| September 2025 | -30,400* | 4.7%* | 4.4%* |
| August 2025 | +3,400* | 4.6%* | 4.5%* |
| July 2025 | -7,100* | 4.6%* | 4.5%* |
| June 2025 | +5,900* | 4.5%* | 4.6%* |
| May 2025 | +24,600* | 4.5%* | 4.6%* |
| April 2025 | +6,100* | 4.5%* | 4.6%* |
*Revised from previous preliminary estimates. Preliminary monthly estimates for job losses or gains are based on a small Bureau of Labor Statistics payroll survey. Actual figures reported the following month are based on a more complete survey.