News releases

The release of some labor market and employment information is temporarily paused due to the federal government shutdown. The publishing of state and national economic data and reports will be delayed until the federal government reopens.

The state Employment Security Department is ready to help federal government workers affected by the partial federal government shutdown that began today.

The annual projections, released this summer, provide job seekers, policymakers, educators and training providers an idea of how many jobs exist within industries and occupations, how the number of jobs is expected to change over time, and the projected future demand for workers.

Washington Service Corps and Washington Reading Corps need organizations to host volunteer members for the 2025-26 program year, which started this month.

Employment Security’s Tatjana Roberts and Dan Zeitlin earned the Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award, which recognizes managers in state government who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through performance results in the previous year.

County unemployment rates and employment data for August 2025 are now available on the Employment Security Department website. Visit the labor force page to view historic and current data on the unemployment rate.

If you are interested in disability justice and want to influence state decision makers, apply to become a volunteer member of the Washington State Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues & Employment (GCDE). 

Washington’s economy decreased by an estimated 13,600 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in August 2025, and the monthly unemployment rate held steady at 4.5%.

In the past 16 months, community organizations have helped more than 7,000 people in underserved communities better understand the unemployment benefits they had available. Thanks to $1 million from the state Legislature, the Employment Security Department’s groundbreaking Unemployment Insurance (UI) Navigator program will continue for another year.

Employment Security Department Commissioner Cami Feek begins yearlong term as board chair for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).