WA releases new unemployment numbers. How do we compare nationally?
On Wednesday morning, the Employment Security Department of Washington State released its monthly unemployment report for June 2026.
In a virtual press conference Wednesday afternoon, the Chief Labor Economist at ESD, Anneliese Vance-Sherman shared her takeaways.
“The past several months — in fact, I’d say the past couple years — have really been characterized by a mix of increases and decreases in employment, but overall hovering around a 0% change when we look year to year,” Vance-Sherman said.
Since last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase of nonfarm employment by 5,400 jobs, with 4,000 of those jobs being public sector employment. Vance-Sherman noted that these figures are seasonally adjusted, accounting for predictable yearly patterns, which calculates unemployment on a scale that accounts for fluctuations the department would typically see. While the department expected to see a loss of 6,400 jobs in the public sector, only 2,400 jobs were lost.
While the figures from the BLS show an influx of jobs from May 2026, Vance-Sherman noted that the unemployment rate has been “creeping up bit by bit.” On a not seasonally adjusted basis, the state saw a net decrease of 1,200 jobs from June 2025 to June 2026. The 1,200 figure represents a loss of nearly 5,100 jobs from the public sector and an addition of 3,900 jobs in the private sector.
The report released Wednesday morning also shared a comparison between the state and the national unemployment rate. Washington’s unemployment rate of 5.2% is a percentile above the national rate of 4.2%, which Vance-Sherman attributed to tech job losses in information, such as those in software development. BLS collected these percentages by calculating the ratio of unemployed people by the resident civilian labor force or, “the total number of people in the workforce, employed and unemployed, ages 16 and older,” according to the report.
For Washington, this month’s 5.2% unemployment rate reflects 209,633 people who currently do not have a job and are available for work, out of a labor force of 4,059,281 people. According to Vance-Sherman, this month is the third month in a row with a steady 5.2% unemployment rate. Additionally, the report specifies a 5.2% unemployment rate for the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue combined. That figure reflects over half of the state’s numbers, with 120,416 unemployed out of 2,313,299 people available. Notably, both of these percentiles are relatively the same as the figures from last month.
Of the 3,900 jobs gained since last June, the largest gains were in hiring in leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and transportation, warehousing, and utilities. Vance-Sherman noticed that, looking at June’s numbers, a majority of the growth showed up in food and drinking places — restaurants and bars, especially in the Seattle area. While she does not have the data to show a direct “cause and effect,” Vance-Sherman attributed this growth to opportunities and events brought about by the World Cup.
Comparatively, the 5,100 jobs lost in the public sector were concentrated in state and federal government positions, with federal government employment decreasing by 3,400 jobs. In the private sector, there was also a noticeable dip in retail trade employment — specifically in motor vehicle and parts dealers, building materials, and garden supply stores.
“So overall, we’re really seeing a continued mixed story when we’re looking at industry by industry experiences of the economy, but overall still hovering right around that zero movement compared to where we were at this time last year,” Vance-Sherman said.
Readers can find the full report on the ESD website.
This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 3:54 PM.
