OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy increased by an estimated 5,400 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in June 2026 while the unemployment rate remained unchanged for the third consecutive month at 5.2%.
“Employment growth in June was led by the service sector,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department. “Employment growth over the month was concentrated among public and private service providers in education, leisure and hospitality and healthcare.”
From June 2025 to June 2026, the number of jobs in Washington decreased by 1,200 jobs.
In June, private sector jobs collectively increased by 1,400, while the public sector increased by an estimated 4,000 jobs. The largest one-month sector-level gains in private industry occurred in leisure and hospitality (up 3,500), education and health services (up 1,600) and other services (up 1,600).
Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 61,142 people in June, a decrease of 4,211 from the previous month. Decreases in unemployment claims primarily came from construction, agriculture and manufacturing.
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 monthly employment report and publication schedule.
- More labor market information and tools.
- Contact information for labor economists.
National unemployment rate
The national unemployment rate decreased slightly to 4.2% from May 2026 to June 2026. For comparison, the national unemployment rate (revised) for June 2025 was 4.1%.
Labor force
From May 2026 to June 2026, the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased from 212,201 to 209,633. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 124,554 to 120,416 during the same time.
The state’s labor force in June was 4,059,821 – an increase of 10,626 people from last June. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 861 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.
Seven major industry sectors expanded, five contracted over the month
Private sector employment increased by 1,400 jobs from May 2026 to June 2026. Government employment increased by 4,000 during the same time.
The largest sector-level gains in private industry were in leisure and hospitality (up 3,200 jobs); education and health services (up 1,600); and other services (up 1,600).
- Gains in leisure and hospitality concentrated in food services and drinking places (up 3,500). Accommodation employment dipped by 200 and arts, entertainment and recreation employment was down 100 on a seasonally adjusted basis.
- The deepest one-month sector losses were observed in professional and business services (down 3,800) and manufacturing (down 1,300).
- Losses in professional and business services concentrated in administrative and support and waste management and remediation (down 5,500), including 2,500 lost from employment services.
Table 1: Washington’s total jobs (12-month overview)
| Month | Total jobs (losses or gains) | Unemployment rate | Previous year’s unemployment rate |
| June 2026 | +5,400* | 5.2%* | 4.5% |
| May 2026 | +10,500 | 5.2% | 4.5% |
| April 2026 | -4,800 | 5.2% | 4.5% |
| March 2026 | -3,900 | 5.1% | 4.5% |
| February 2026 | +700 | 5.1% | 4.4% |
| January 2026 | +2,800 | 5.0% | 4.4% |
| December 2025 | +10,100 | 4.9% | 4.3% |
| November 2025 | -4,300 | 4.9% | 4.3% |
| October 2025 | -4,400 | N.A. | 4.4% |
| September 2025 | -8,200 | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| August 2025 | +1,200 | 4.6% | 4.5% |
| July 2025 | -7,400 | 4.6% | 4.5% |
| June 2025 | -400 | 4.5% | 4.6% |
* The most recent month reports preliminary data. Past months report data revised from their original publication. This is a standard practice as data matures.
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