How many jobs were lost in Washington state last month?
Refreshed monthly
Washington state lost 2,100 jobs in June 2026, ranking it 45th among states in job growth. Those figures comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 4,900 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-2.1K
month to month change in number of jobs (June 2026)
45th
rank among states in monthly job growth (June 2026)
Washington state’s job loss of 2,100 June 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 5,600 gain in May 2026.
During the latest five year period (July 2021 to June 2026), Washington state gained jobs in 39 out of 60 months. June 2026 had the 12th-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (35,000) while job growth was weakest in October 2024 (-38,000).
There were 2,100 fewer jobs in June 2026 in Washington state than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, July 2021–June 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Washington state sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in June 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in June 2026 were professional, scientific, and technical services, accommodation and food services, and other services. Professional, scientific, and technical services added 1,500 jobs, more than the entire economy. Accommodation and food services gained 1,100 jobs, while other services added 1,000. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 800 jobs during June 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Washington state (June 2026)
How does Washington state's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Washington state gained an average of 317 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 2,850, and the lowest since 2024. The 2025 average ranks as 16th-highest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 10,500 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 8,000 on average every month in 2016.
In 2025, Washington state gained an average of 317 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 11 metro areas primarily in Washington during June 2026 ranged from a loss of 1,000 jobs in the Seattle, WA area to a gain of 100 jobs in the Walla Walla, WA area metro area
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Washington state
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +2,000 | |
| 2. | +100 | |
| 3. | +0 | |
| 4. | +0 | |
| 5. | -100 | |
| 6. | -100 | |
| 7. | -100 | |
| 8. | -100 | |
| 9. | -100 | |
| 10. | -200 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
