How many jobs were added in Washington state last month?
Refreshed monthly
Washington state gained 4,200 jobs in September 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 4,100 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+4.2K
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
7th
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
September 2026's gain of 4,200 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in Washington state. Monthly job growth was up from the 1,700 new jobs in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Washington state gained jobs in 39 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the 25th-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 4,200 more jobs in September 2026 in Washington state than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Washington state sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were construction, arts, entertainment, and recreation, and local government. Construction added 1,500 jobs, more than the entire economy. Arts, entertainment, and recreation gained 1,400 jobs, while local government added 1,400. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were retail trade, state government, and non-durable goods. retail trade lost 1,600 jobs in September 2026, while state government lost 900 jobs and non-durable goods lost 500 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 500 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Washington state (September 2026)
How has Washington state's job growth changed over time?
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 2020. 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 2022.
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 September 2026 ranged from a loss of 100 jobs in the Yakima, WA area to a gain of 3,100 jobs in the Seattle, WA 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. | +5,100 | |
| 2. | +3,100 | |
| 3. | +200 | |
| 4. | +100 | |
| 5. | +100 | |
| 6. | +100 | |
| 7. | +0 | |
| 8. | +0 | |
| 9. | +0 | |
| 10. | +0 |
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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.
