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OLYMPIA – County unemployment rates and employment data for May 2026 are now available on the Employment Security Department website. Visit the labor force page to view historic and current data on the unemployment rate.
This month we spotlight the Central Sound region, which includes King and Pierce counties. Paul Turek, regional labor economist for Central Sound Washington, said of his region, “May served as a strong month for employment growth in the region, particularly for King County where job growth had been restrained of late.” Turek added, “The number of jobs added over the month exceeded expectations, resulting in significant growth even when adjusted for seasonal conditions.”
In case you missed it last week, find May’s monthly employment report news release on Employment Security’s website.
To learn more about monthly job gains and losses from payroll data, check out the employment estimates on the Employment Security website.
Please keep in mind:
Unemployment rates and employment estimates at the county level are not seasonally adjusted because the sample size is too small for some counties to accommodate the additional analysis. They should not be compared directly to the seasonally adjusted statewide rate published in the latest Monthly Employment Report.
Employment Security has labor market information and tools to showcase popular information and data.
Learn more about unemployment and the economy for each county by viewing our county profiles. The information in the county profiles is updated within three days of the release of the county unemployment numbers.