How many jobs were added in Washington state last month?
Refreshed monthly
Washington state gained 7,700 jobs in May 2026, ranking it seventh among states in job growth. Those figures come 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 5,100 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+7.7K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
7th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 7,700 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in Washington state. Monthly job growth was up from the 300 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Washington state gained jobs in 40 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 17th-highest 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 7,700 more jobs in May 2026 in Washington state than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Washington state sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were arts, entertainment, and recreation, accommodation and food services, and durable goods. Arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,800 jobs, more than the entire economy. Accommodation and food services gained 1,600 jobs, while durable goods added 1,400 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector lost 300 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Washington state (May 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 2,900, 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 May 2026 ranged from a loss of 300 jobs in the Bremerton, WA area to a gain of 9,900 jobs in the Seattle, 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. | +9,900 | |
| 2. | +800 | |
| 3. | +300 | |
| 4. | +200 | |
| 5. | +100 | |
| 6. | +0 | |
| 7. | +0 | |
| 8. | +0 | |
| 9. | -100 | |
| 10. | -100 |
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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.
