Washington unemployment rate rises to 5.2% In April

OLYMPIA — Washington’s unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in April as the state lost an estimated 4,500 jobs, according to the Employment Security Department.

The April rate was up from 5.1% in March. The state has recorded job losses in each of the first four months of 2026.

“The labor market has been losing momentum over the past couple years, and that trend has continued into 2026. So far, this calendar year has been characterized by four consecutive months of employment losses” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist with the Employment Security Department.

Vance-Sherman added, “The unemployment rate continues to climb at a steady pace – adding a fraction of a percentage point every couple of months.”

From April 2025 to April 2026, the number of jobs in Washington decreased by 8,300, or 0.2%.

Private sector employment decreased by 1,500 jobs in April, while the public sector lost an estimated 3,000 jobs. Financial activities posted the largest one-month gain among private industries, adding 900 jobs. Transportation, warehousing and utilities added 400 jobs, and other services added 400 jobs.

The largest one-month private sector losses were in construction, which lost 1,300 jobs, and professional and business services, which lost 900 jobs. Construction losses were concentrated in construction of buildings and heavy and civil engineering.

Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 69,395 people in April, a decrease of 6,512 from March. The agency said decreases in claims primarily came from construction, administrative and support and waste management and remediation, and agriculture.

Statewide, the number of unemployed people increased from 208,996 in March to 212,533 in April. In the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett region, the number of unemployed people increased from 125,967 to 126,493.

Washington’s labor force was 4,062,296 in April, an increase of 15,050 people from April 2025. The labor force in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett region decreased by 1,583 people over the same period.

The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% from March to April. The revised national unemployment rate for April 2025 was 4.2%.