OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington’s economy added an estimated 10,600 jobs in May while the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.2%, according to the latest report from the Employment Security Department.
The job gains follow two straight months of employment losses, offering a positive sign for the state’s labor market. However, state economists cautioned against reading too much into a single month of growth.
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“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.”
Despite the stable unemployment rate, Vance-Sherman noted that job seekers continue to face challenges as unemployment has gradually increased throughout 2025 and the first half of 2026.
Private employers added an estimated 9,000 jobs in May, while government employment increased by 1,600 jobs. The largest gains came from:
Within leisure and hospitality, food services and drinking places accounted for 2,900 of the new positions. Manufacturing growth was spread across several industries, led by food manufacturing, which added 600 jobs.
Not every sector saw gains. Wholesale trade lost 1,000 jobs in May, while other services shed 800 jobs. Merchant wholesalers of nondurable goods accounted for most of the losses in wholesale trade.
The state’s labor force reached 4.07 million people in May, up more than 17,000 from a year earlier. The number of unemployed Washington residents increased slightly from 212,230 in April to 212,412 in May.
In the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metro area, unemployment fell from 126,368 people in April to 124,679 in May.
Employment Security also reported paying unemployment benefits to 65,353 people in May, down by more than 4,000 from the previous month. The largest declines in claims came from construction, transportation and warehousing, and accommodation and food services.
Despite May’s gains, Washington had 7,700 fewer jobs than a year ago, representing a 0.2% decline from May 2025.Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% in May.
Twitterの共有: Washington adds 10600 jobs in May as unemployment rate holds at 5.2% statewide
