OLYMPIA, Wash. – In June, Washington’s economy increased by about 10,900 jobs, while the unemployment rate stayed about the same at 4.5%, according to the Washington State Employee Security Department.
“Job growth in June was the strongest we’ve seen since January 2025,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist at the Employment Security Department. “Employment was boosted by gains in several sectors including leisure and hospitality, government and information.”
In June, employers in the private sector added 6,300 jobs. The largest sector level gains in the private industry were in leisure and hospitality, which grew by 7,400, information, which grew by 1,900 and construction, which grew by 1,000.
Meanwhile, the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased from 180,997 to 180,735 from May 2025 to June 2025. The state’s total labor force also decreased to 4,033,538 in June 2025, which is 8,557 less than the month before.
Unemployment in Washington stayed at 4.5% in June 2025, the same as in May 2025 and as in the year before in June 2025. Over the last year, however, unemployment dipped to 4.4% during much of the last year and even to 4.3% in January 2025, before returning to 4.5%.
This is also higher than the national unemployment rate, which fell from 4.2% in May 2025 to 4.1% in June 2025. Unemployment in June 2024 was 4.1%.
Washington Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 62,306 people in June, which is 3,091 less people than in the previous month.
For more information about employment and unemployment in Washington, read through the June monthly employment report here.
