Summary
Yakima County’s labor supply was 117,334 workers as of February 2025 with a not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.8%. Total nonfarm employment during February 2025 was 90,300 jobs, an increase of 1,500 jobs from February 2024 and an increase of 200 jobs from January 2025.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest industry sector demanding workers in Yakima County at 28,695 average annual employment out of 116,064 total annual average employment in 2023. Yakima county has 2,523 farm operations which utilize 1.8 million acres of land. The farms generate $2.3 billion in sales annually.
Government sector jobs increased 800 jobs from a year ago and increased 200 jobs from January 2025. Federal government subsector jobs remained unchanged over the year and remained unchanged over the month. The county has 5,883 establishments employing workers covered by the Washington State Employment Security Act. The population of people 16 and older is 189,087.
Geography
Yakima is the second largest county in Washington state at 2.75 million acres. Three entities own or manage 63.4% of the land:
- The Yakama Nation (1,074,174 acres)
- The U.S. Forest Service (503,726 acres)
- The U.S. Army Yakima Training Center (165,787 acres)
Employment situation for February 2025
Labor force and unemployment
- The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.8% during February 2025, down from 8.1% in February 2024.
- The labor force was 117,334 workers in February 2025.
Unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Local area unemployment statistics
Payroll employment
- Total nonfarm employment during February 2025 was 90,300 jobs, an increase of 1,500 jobs from February 2024 and an increase of 200 jobs below January 2025.
- Mining, logging and construction decreased 200 jobs over the year and decreased 100 jobs over the month from January 2025.
- Retail trade decreased 200 jobs from a year ago and decreased 100 jobs from January 2025.
- Professional and business service increased 300 jobs from a year ago and was unchanged from January 2025.
- Health care and social assistance services increased 700 jobs from a year ago and was unchanged from January 2025.
- Food services and drinking places increased by 100 jobs from a year ago and decreased by 100 from January 2025.
- Government sector jobs increased 800 jobs from a year ago and increased 200 jobs from January 2025. Federal government subsector jobs remained unchanged over the year and unchanged over the month.
Nonfarm employment estimates, not seasonally adjusted, Yakima County
| NAICS Industry Title | Feb 2025 (Prelim) | Jan 2025 (Revised) | Feb 2024 (Revised) | Jan 2025 to Feb 2025 Change | Feb 2024 to Feb 2025 Change | Feb 2024 to Feb 2025 % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 90,300 | 90,100 | 88,800 | 200 | 1,500 | 1.7% |
| - Total private (total nonfarm less government) | 70,700 | 70,700 | 70,000 | 0 | 700 | 1.0% |
| - - Goods-producing | 12,000 | 12,100 | 12,100 | -100 | -100 | -0.8% |
| - - - - Mining, logging and construction | 4,000 | 4,100 | 4,200 | -100 | -200 | -4.8% |
| - - - - Manufacturing | 8,000 | 8,000 | 7,900 | 0 | 100 | 1.3% |
| - - Service-providing | 78,300 | 78,000 | 76,700 | 300 | 1,600 | 2.1% |
| - - - - - Wholesale trade | 4,600 | 4,600 | 4,400 | 0 | 200 | 4.5% |
| - - - - - Retail trade | 10,900 | 11,000 | 11,100 | -100 | -200 | -1.8% |
| - - - - - Transportation, warehousing, and utilities | 3,800 | 3,800 | 3,800 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| - - - - Professional and business services | 5,300 | 5,300 | 5,000 | 0 | 300 | 6.0% |
| - - - - Private education and health services | 20,500 | 20,400 | 19,700 | 100 | 800 | 4.1% |
| - - - - Leisure and hospitality | 8,200 | 8,200 | 8,200 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| - - - Government | 19,600 | 19,400 | 18,800 | 200 | 800 | 4.3% |
Note: Data benchmarked through September 2024, updated March 28, 2025.
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Washington employment estimates (WA-QB & CES)
Industry employment (covered employment)
Employment by industry, Yakima County 2023 annual average
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Covered Employment (QCEW)
Covered employment, or Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage (QCEW) data, include agricultural and nonagricultural employment and wages for firms, organizations and individuals whose employees are covered by the Washington State Employment Security Act. Covered employment generally exceeds 85% of total employment in the state of Washington. Average annual covered employment in 2023 in Yakima County was 116,064. The average annual wage was $49,831 which was 57.2% of Washington state’s average annual wage of $87,091.
Top sectors in terms of employment in 2023:
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing (28,695 jobs)
- Government (18,379 jobs)
- Health care and social assistance (17,853 jobs)
- Retail trade (11,509 jobs)
- Manufacturing (8,103 jobs)
Top sectors in terms of total wages paid in 2023:
- Government ($1,180,814,436)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing ($1,133,917,517)
- Health services ($970,102,892)
- Manufacturing ($474,005,530)
- Retail trade ($443,806,142)
Workforce demographics in Yakima County
Yakima County’s 16 and older population was 189,087 in 2023. The labor force participation rate was 62.1%. The average unemployment rate was 7.2%.
Visit the U.S. Census Bureau website for more quick facts about Yakima County.
Age
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 16 years and over | 189,744 | 62.6% | 7.1% |
| 16 to 19 years | 15,556 | 38.3% | 20.6% |
| 20 to 24 years | 17,088 | 74.9% | 12.1% |
| 25 to 29 years | 17,719 | 81.9% | 7.9% |
| 30 to 34 years | 16,943 | 78.1% | 7.0% |
| 35 to 44 years | 31,019 | 83.3% | 3.9% |
| 45 to 54 years | 27,508 | 79.7% | 5.5% |
| 55 to 59 years | 13,716 | 72.2% | 5.5% |
| 60 to 64 years | 13,573 | 60.2% | 2.9% |
| 65 to 74 years | 21,789 | 25.3% | 8.9% |
| 75 years and over | 14,833 | 5.9% | 10.3% |
Race or Hispanic origin
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 107,143 | 57.9% | 4.4% |
| Black or African American alone | 1,629 | 61.6% | 6.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone | 6,240 | 52.0% | 11.0% |
| Asian alone | 2,526 | 60.8% | 0.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone | 705 | 67.9% | 0.0% |
| Some other race alone | 33,722 | 70.3% | 11.4% |
| Two or more races | 37,779 | 70.7% | 9.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) | 86,926 | 70.7% | 9.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino | 87,055 | 55.4% | 4.1% |
| Population 20 to 64 years | 137,566 | 77.3% | 6.2% |
Sex
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 69,542 | 82.1% | 5.4% |
| Female | 68,024 | 72.5% | 7.1% |
Females with children
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| With own children under 18 | 27,414 | 74.1% | 7.3% |
| With own children under 6 only | 5,012 | 72.0% | 8.1% |
| With own children under 6 and 6 to 17 | 7,968 | 69.8% | 6.9% |
| With own children 6 to 17 only | 14,434 | 77.3% | 7.2% |
Poverty status in the past 12 months
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below poverty level | 18,008 | 44.8% | 20.3% |
| At or above the poverty level | 118,378 | 83.0% | 5.1% |
Disability status
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| With any disability | 16,780 | 39.3% | 9.5% |
Educational attainment
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 25 to 64 years | 120,478 | 77.7% | 5.4% |
| Less than high school graduate | 29,311 | 71.8% | 8.4% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 36,171 | 75.7% | 5.7% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 32,854 | 77.8% | 5.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22,142 | 88.4% | 1.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, S2301 | Employment Status
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