Lewis and Thurston county unemployment rates rise in February

The Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) recently released the unemployment rates for February 2026, showing that unemployment slightly increased in both Lewis and Thurston counties in January, according to an ESD news release.

Specifically, Lewis County's unemployment rate went from 6.4% in January 2026 to 6.5% in February, while Thurston County saw its unemployment rate rise from 4.9% to 5.0%.

In Skamania County, the unemployment rate rose from 5.4% to 5.6%, and other counties saw rate changes including: a decrease in Pierce County from 6.4% to 6.1%; an increase in Grays Harbor County from 6.4% to 6.5%; an increase in Pacific County from 6.9% to 7.3%; an increase in Wahkiakum County from 7.3% to 7.6%; in Clark County, the rate increased from 5% to 5.3%; and Cowlitz County remained the same at 6% from January going into February.

Across Washington state, the unemployment rate rose from 5.0% in January to 5.1% in February.

Nationally, the unemployment rate has fluctuated from 4.3% in January, then back to 4.4% in February and back down to 4.3% in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For more information, view the ESD's monthly employment reports on its website at https://tinyurl.com/2sj6tnzz.

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