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Facts and Figures Report – September 2021

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 08/2021)

1Statewide: 08/2021: 5.1%
1Statewide: 8/2020: 9.1%
2Highest county rate: 8/2021: 8.0% (Ferry)
2Lowest county rate: 8/2021: 3.5% (Asotin)
1 = seasonally adjusted; 
2 = not seasonally adjusted

Jobs (growth/loss 08/2021)

Month/month:  16,800 (preliminary)
Year/year: 174,600 or 5.4%
Since recession start (2/20): -41,300 or -1.2%

Top growth industries:
Leisure and hospitality: +8,500
Government: +3,800
Professional and business services: +3,400

Total jobs (labor force): 3,923,000

Total covered employment: 3,404,800
Job losses during recession (12/07-6/09): -151,400
Job losses since recovery (2/20): -41,300
Unemployed, seeking work: 198,800
www.esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo

Unemployment claims (8/2021)

Claimants, (regular benefits), 8/2021: 68,210
CY15 = 221,326; CY16 = 210,554; CY17 = 224,823;
CY18 = 187,603; CY19 = 196,545; CY20 = 898,712

Continued regular claims: -79% since 8/2020

Regular Benefits paid, 8/2021: $88.4M
CY15 = $1.0B; CY16 = $1.0B; CY17 = $1.03B;
CY18 = $995.4M; CY19 = $1.06B; CY20 = $5.0B

Average weekly benefit (regular claims), 8/2021: $483
CY15 = $418; CY16 = $473; CY17 = $484;
CY18 = $467; CY19 = $478; CY20 = $446

Highest/lowest weekly benefit: $929/$295

Long-term unemployed (LTU)

Definition: unemployed more than 26 weeks
LTU job seekers in Washington, 
9/2020-8/2021: 78,800
LTU = of all unemployed job seekers: 31.6%
LTU = of total labor force (3.9M): 2.0%
Male: 55%
Female: 45%

Average wage/minimum wage in Washington

Average yearly wage, 2020: $76,741 (+10.1% from 2019)
Average weekly wage, 2020: $1,475
Minimum wage, 2020: $13.69

Unemployment taxes/trust fund

Taxes collected, Q2-2021: $534.2M
CY14 = $1.52B; CY15 = $1.33B; CY16 = $1.18B; CY17 = $1.12B;
CY18= $1.09B; CY19=$1.09B; CY20 = $1.20B

Low/high tax rates, 2021: 0.23-6.02%,
Avg. = 1.06%
($130-$3,401 per worker earning =/> $56,500/year)

Taxable wage base: 2021: $56,500; 2020: $52,700

Trust fund balance, 8/31/2021: $1.92B

WorkSource services (as of 8/31/2021)

Total jobs listed on WorkSourceWA.com: 1,259,887*
Total employers with job postings: 18,347*
Total employers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 26,135*
Total job seekers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 791,702*
WorkSource customers who found jobs: 96,690**

*Since WorkSourceWA.com go-live May 2016
**Rolling four quarters (CY2019 Q4 through CY2020 Q3)

ESD employees (as of 8/31/2021)

Number of employees: 2,852 (1,978 perm)
Employee ages <25 = 2.1%; 25-39 = 27.9%; 
40-54 = 39.1%; 55+ = 30.9%
Employees of color: 43.5%

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: 833-572-8421
  • 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 2021 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 2019/2020, please contact LMEA at lmea@esd.wa.gov.

Note: Year-to-date information is no longer available for payment amounts/claim totals and average weeks on regular benefits.