OLYMPIA – Washington’s labor market decreased by an estimated 15,400 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in September 2026 while the unemployment rate decreased, for the third consecutive month, to 4.8%.
“The unemployment rate fell to 4.8% in September, creating a three-month streak in declining unemployment rates, and marking a shift from the slow increases that characterized the past couple years.” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department. “The falling unemployment rate is partially a reflection of a decreasing number of unemployed workers over the past few months, but it also reflects an overall reduction in the size of the labor force over the past few months.”
Vance-Sherman added, “The tally of nonfarm jobs fell in September, with the largest seasonally adjusted declines appearing in the government and education and health services sectors – two of Washington’s largest employment sectors.”
From September 2025 to September 2026, the number of jobs in Washington increased by 9,200 jobs – a 0.3% increase.
In September, private sector jobs collectively decreased by 5,000, while the public sector decreased by an estimated 10,400 jobs. The largest one-month sector-level gains in private industry occurred in professional and business services (up 1,800), construction (up 1,500), and information (up 1,400).
Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 57,685 people in September, a decrease of 2,271 from the previous month. Decreases in unemployment claims primarily came from heath care and social assistance, agriculture, administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services.
Learn more about Washington’s labor economy with 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.
Visit 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 increased from 4.1% in August to 4.2% in September 2026. For comparison, the national unemployment rate (revised) for September 2025 was 4.4%.
Labor force
From August 2026 to September 2026, the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased from 197,389 to 193,018. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett metropolitan area, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 113,550 to 111,986 during the same time.
In September, the state’s labor force was 4,045,430 – a decrease of 11,562 people from last September. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett metropolitan area, the labor force decreased by 1,140 people during the same period.
Labor force is 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.
Four major industry sectors expanded, eight contracted in September
Private sector employment decreased by 5,000 jobs from August 2026 to September 2026. Government employment decreased by 10,400 during the same time.
The largest sector-level gains in the private industry were in other professional and business services (up 1,800 jobs); construction (up 1,500); and information (up 1,400).
- Gains in professional and business services were observed in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as administrative support, and waste management and remediation (each up 800), and in management of companies and enterprises.
- Gains in construction were primarily observed in specialty trades (up 1,800). Construction of buildings slipped fell by 300.
- The information sector added 1,400 jobs. None of the increases were attributable to software publishing.The deepest one-month sector losses were observed in government (down 10,400), private education and health services (down 4,900), transportation, warehousing and utilities (down 1,800), and manufacturing (down 1,700).
- Losses in education and health services were concentrated in private education (down 4,500) but were observed throughout the sector. Losses in manufacturing were reflective of employment losses among food manufacturing industries (down 1,400).
Table 1: Washington’s total jobs (12-month overview)
| Month | Total jobs (losses or gains) | Unemployment rate | Previous year’s unemployment rate |
| September 2026 | -15,400* | 4.8%* | 4.7% |
| August 2026 | -1,200 | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| July 2026 | +21,000 | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| June 2026 | +9,400 | 5.2% | 4.5% |
| May 2026 | +10,000 | 5.2% | 4.5% |
| April 2026 | -5,100 | 5.2% | 4.5% |
| March 2026 | -10,000 | 5.1% | 4.5% |
| February 2026 | -6,700 | 5.1% | 4.4% |
| January 2026 | +13,600 | 5.0% | 4.4% |
| December 2025 | +10,200 | 4.9% | 4.3% |
| November 2025 | -5,600 | 4.9% | 4.3% |
| October 2025 | -12,200 | N.A. | 4.4% |
| September 2025 | -8,600 | 4.7% | 4.4% |
* The most recent month reports preliminary data. Past months report data revised from their original publication. This is a standard practice as data matures.
The monthly employment report references labor market information about Washington state and includes some data referencing the Seattle metropolitan area. County-level estimates will be published on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.