OLYMPIA – Washington’s economy gained an estimated 10,600 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in May 2026 while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.2%.
“Job growth was relatively strong in May,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department. “A strong month of growth is welcome following two consecutive months of employment losses, but it doesn’t signal any meaningful shifts on its own.”
Vance-Sherman added, “Although the unemployment rate remained unchanged this month, it continues a trend of small incremental increases throughout 2025 and the first half of 2026, signaling an increasingly challenging labor market for job seekers.”
From May 2025 to May 2026, the number of jobs in Washington decreased by 7,700 jobs – a 0.2% decrease.
In May, private sector jobs collectively increased by 9,000, while the public sector increased by an estimated 1,600 jobs. The largest one-month sector-level gains in private industry occurred in leisure and hospitality (up 4,800), manufacturing (up 2,200) and construction (up 1,600).
Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 65,353 people in May, a decrease of 4,042 from the previous month. Decreases in unemployment claims primarily came from construction, transportation and warehousing, and accommodation and food services.
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 April 2026 to May 2026. For comparison, the national unemployment rate (revised) for May 2025 was 4.3%.
Labor force
From April 2026 to May 2026, the number of people who were unemployed statewide increased from 212,230 to 212,412. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 126,368 to 124,679 during the same time.
The state’s labor force in May was 4,065,952 – an increase of 17,251 people from last May. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 2,779 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.
Nine major industry sectors expanded, four contracted over the year
Private sector employment increased by 9,000 jobs from April 2026 to May 2026. Government employment increased by 1,600 during the same time.
The largest sector-level gains in the private industry were in leisure and hospitality (up 4,800 jobs); manufacturing (up 2,200); and construction (up 1,600).
- Employment gains in leisure and hospitality were observed among each of the industries included in this report, with food services and drinking places adding 2,900 jobs.
- Employment gains in manufacturing were also widely observed, with the largest increase (600) attributable to food manufacturing.
- The deepest one-month private sector losses were observed in wholesale trade (down 1,000) and other services (down 800). Merchant wholesalers of nondurable goods lost 1,000 jobs.
Table 1: Washington’s total jobs (12-month overview)
| Month | Total jobs (losses or gains) | Unemployment rate | Previous year’s unemployment rate |
| May 2026 | +10,600 | 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 | -7,100* | 4.6%* | 4.5%* |
| June 2025 | -400* | 4.5%* | 4.6%* |
| May 2025 | +10,500* | 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.