OLYMPIA - County unemployment rates and employment data for April 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 North Sound region, which includes Clallam, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties. Toby Paterson, regional labor economist for Northwestern Washington, said of his region, “Employers in Snohomish County added 3,100 jobs during April, the job count continues to lag last year’s count, under by 2,500 jobs. The unemployment rate for Snohomish County increased little to 5.1%, up from 5.0% last month.”  

In case you missed it, find April’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.