ALERTS (1)

Facts and Figures Report – December 2019

The Facts and Figures Report is prepared monthly and posted after the county press release as a quick reference for employees, legislators, partners and others who may be interested.

What is included in the Facts and Figures?

  • Unemployment rates
  • Monthly job growth or loss
  • Data for unemployment claims and benefits
  • Long-term unemployed data
  • Average wage/minimum wage
  • Unemployment taxes/trust fund
  • WorkSource services
  • ESD employee data
  • Toll-free numbers to resources for UI claimants, employers, job seekers and more

Unemployment rates 11/2019)

1Statewide: 11/2019: 4.4%
1Statewide: 11/2018: 4.5%
2Highest county rate: 11/2019: 10.3% (Ferry)
2Lowest county rate: 11/2019: 2.3% (King)
1 = seasonally adjusted; 
2 = not seasonally adjusted

Jobs (growth/loss 11/2019)
Month/month:  +12,200 (preliminary)
Year/year: +66,100 or +1.9%
Since recession start (12/07): +501,800 or +16.6%

Top Growth industries:
Education and health services: +3,600
Leisure and hospitality: +2,700
Construction: +1,900

Declining industries:
Retail trade: -400

Total jobs (labor force): 3,940,000
Job losses during recession (12/07-6/09): -151,300
Job gains since recovery (6/09): 630,400
Unemployed, seeking work: 175,000
www.esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo

Unemployment claims (11/2019)

Claimants, 11/2019: 52,750 / YTD = 183,608
CY13 = 311,802; CY14 = 249,160; CY15 = 221,326;
CY16 = 210,554; CY17 = 224,823; CY18 = 187,603

Continued regular claims: +4.0% since 11/2018

Benefits paid, 11/2019: $79.9M / YTD = $944.4M
CY13 = $1.8B; CY14 = $1.1B; CY15 = $1.0B;
CY16 = $1.0B; CY17 = $1.03B; CY18 = $995.4M

Average weekly benefit, 11/2019: $491
CY13 = $387; CY14 = $398; CY15 = $418;
CY16 = $473; CY17 = $484; CY18 = $467

Highest/lowest weekly benefit: $790 / $188

Average weeks on regular benefits,
12/2018–11/2019: 16.8
CY13 = 16.2; CY14 = 15.6; CY15 = 14.9;
CY16=14.8; CY17= 14.9; CY18 = 15.6

Long-term unemployed (LTU)

Definition: unemployed more than 26 weeks

LTU job seekers in Washington,
12/2018-11/2019: 31,400
LTU = of all unemployed job seekers: 18.0%
LTU = of total labor force (3.9M): 0.8%
Male: 71%
Female: 29%

Average wage/minimum wage in Washington

Average yearly wage,
2018: $65,301 (+5.5% from 2017)
Average weekly wage, 2018: $1,255
Minimum wage, 2019: $12.00

Unemployment taxes/trust fund

Taxes collected, Q3-2019: $303.3M
CY13 = $1.37B; CY14 = $1.52B; CY15 = $1.33B;
CY16 = $1.18B; CY17 = $1.12B; CY18= $1.09B

Low/high tax rates, 2019: 0.13-5.72%, Avg. = 1.24%
($61-$2,706 per worker earning = / > $47,300/year)

Taxable wage base: 2020: $52,700; 2019: $49,800

Trust fund balance, 11/30/2019: $4.86B

WorkSource services (as of 11/30/19)
Total jobs listed on WorkSourceWA.com: 837,148*
Total employers with job postings: 13,904*
Total employers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 19,672*
Total job seekers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 505,052*
WorkSource customers who found jobs: 120,096**

*Since WorkSourceWA.com go-live May 2016
**Rolling four quarters (CY2018 Q1 through CY2018 Q4)

ESD employees (as of 11/30/19)

Number of employees: 1,656 (1,627 perm)
Employee ages <25 = 1.2%; 25-39 = 23.0%; 
40-54 = 37.9%; 55+ = 37.9%
Employees of color: 28.6%

Toll-free numbers                                                          

For UI claimants

  • “Regular” claims: 800-318-6022
  • Training benefits: 877-600-7701
  • Debt collection unit (overpayments):
    866-697-4831
  • Trade Act: 888-317-0480
  • Assistance with eServices sign-in: 855-682-0785

For employers

  • UI benefits questions: 877-504-5607
  • Web tax filing help and employer tax
    questions: 855-829-9243 (855-TAX-WAGE)
  • SharedWork help line: 800-752-2500
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credit: 800-669-9271

For job seekers

  • Veterans (WorkSource): 877-453-5906
  • Veterans (Dept. of Veterans Affairs): 800-562-2308

Other

  • WorkSourceWA.com sign-in assistance:
    888-316-5627
  • Washington Service Corps: 888-713-6080
  • Labor market information: 360-507-9621
  • Benefit and tax fraud: 800-246-9763
  • Federal bonding program: 800-669-9271
  • Agricultural services: 509-826-7590
  • Paid Family and Medical Leave: 833-717-2273


Facts and Figures for 2019 are available in PDF format as a one-page fact sheet or a front to back, two-to-a-page file to print and cut for 4.25 x 11 cards that are useful for workshops, presentations and other events. The file to print cards is only available for the current monthly issue.

If you have any questions, requests or want to see data from 2018, please contact LMEA at lmpa@esd.wa.gov.