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Facts and Figures Report – March 2020

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 2/2020)

1Statewide: 2/2020: 3.9%
1Statewide: 2/2019: 4.5%
2Highest county rate: 2/2020: 13.4% (Ferry)
2Lowest county rate: 2/2020: 2.5% (King)
1 = seasonally adjusted; 
2 = not seasonally adjusted

Jobs (growth/loss 2/2020)
Month/month:  +3,500 (preliminary)
Year/year: +100,900 or +2.9%
Since recession start (12/07): +473,100 or +15.7%

Top Growth industries:
Construction: +2,800
Professional and business services: +2,500
Government: +700

Declining industries:
Leisure and hospitality: -900

Total jobs (labor force): 3,962,600
Total covered employment: 3,517,900
Job losses during recession (12/07-6/09): -151,300
Job gains since recovery (6/09): 601,700
Unemployed, seeking work: 151,800
www.esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo

Unemployment claims (2/2020)

Claimants, 2/2020: 67,681 / YTD = 92,573
CY13 = 311,802; CY14 = 249,160; CY15 = 221,326;
CY16 = 210,554; CY17 = 224,823; CY18 = 187,603
CY19 = 196,545

Continued regular claims: -13.8% since 2/2019

Benefits paid, 2/2020: $102.9M / YTD = $221.1M
CY13 = $1.8B; CY14 = $1.1B; CY15 = $1.0B;
CY16 = $1.0B; CY17 = $1.03B; CY18 = $995.4M
CY19 = $1.06B

Average weekly benefit, 2/2020: $480
CY13 = $387; CY14 = $398; CY15 = $418;
CY16 = $473; CY17 = $484; CY18 = $467
CY19 = $478

Highest/lowest weekly benefit: $790 / $188

Average weeks on regular benefits,
3/2019–2/2020: 17.1
CY13 = 16.2; CY14 = 15.6; CY15 = 14.9;
CY16=14.8; CY17= 14.9; CY18 = 15.6; CY19=16.9

Long-term unemployed (LTU)

Definition: unemployed more than 26 weeks

LTU job seekers in Washington,
3/2019-2/2020: 34,200
LTU = of all unemployed job seekers: 20.8%
LTU = of total labor force (3.9M): 0.9%
Male: 64%
Female: 36%

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, Q4-2019: $234.6M
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, 2/29/2020: $4.74B

WorkSource services (as of 2/29/20)
Total jobs listed on WorkSourceWA.com: 892,859*
Total employers with job postings: 14,379*
Total employers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 20,334*
Total job seekers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 535,155*
WorkSource customers who found jobs: 116,234**

*Since WorkSourceWA.com go-live May 2016
**Rolling four quarters (CY2018 Q2 through CY2019 Q1)

ESD employees (as of 2/29/20)

Number of employees: 1,676 (1,645 perm)
Employee ages <25 = 1.3%; 25-39 = 23.3%; 
40-54 = 37.8%; 55+ = 37.6%
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

Other

  • Veterans (Dept. of Veterans Affairs): 800-562-2308
  • WorkSourceWA.com sign-in assistance:
    888-316-5627
  • Washington Service Corps: 888-713-6080
  • Labor market information: 360-890-3735
  • Benefit and tax fraud: 800-246-9763
  • Federal bonding program: 800-669-9271
  • Paid Family and Medical Leave: 833-717-2273


Facts and Figures for 2020 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 2018/2019, please contact LMEA at lmpa@esd.wa.gov.