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Facts and Figures Report – September 2022

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 8/2022)

1Statewide: 8/2022: 3.7%
1Statewide: 8/2021: 5.0%
2Highest county rate: 8/2022: 8.2% (Ferry)
2Lowest county rate: 8/2022: 3.0% (King)
1 = seasonally adjusted; 
2 = not seasonally adjusted

Jobs (growth/loss 8/2022)

Month/month: 16,100 (preliminary)
Year/year: 161,600 or 4.8%
Since recession start (2/20): 82,400 or 2.4%

Top growth industries:
Government: +6,700
Education and health services: +2,500
Professional and business services: +2,200

Total jobs (labor force): 4,020,700

Total covered employment: 3,548,100
Job losses during recession (12/07-6/09): -147,800
Job losses recession start (2/20): 83,400
Unemployed, seeking work: 149,600
www.esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo

Unemployment claims (8/2022)

Claimants, (regular benefits), 8/2022: 35,480
CY16 = 210,554; CY17 = 224,823; CY18 = 187,603; 
CY19 = 196,545; CY20 = 898,712; CY21 = 341,774

Continued regular claims: -42% since 8/2021

Regular Benefits paid, 8/2022: $72.2M
CY16 = $1.0B; CY17 = $1.0B; CY18 = $995.4M;
CY19 = $1.0B; CY20 = $5.0B' CY21 = $1.6B

Average weekly benefit (regular claims), 7/2022: $586
CY15 = $418; CY16 = $473; CY17 = $484; CY18 = $467; 
CY19 = $478; CY20 = $446; CY21 = $490

Highest/lowest weekly benefit: $999/$317

Long-term unemployed (LTU)

Definition: unemployed more than 26 weeks
LTU job seekers in Washington, 
9/2021-8/2022: 44,100
LTU = of all unemployed job seekers: 25.5%
LTU = of total labor force (3.9M): 1.1%
Male: 68%
Female: 32%

Average wage/minimum wage in Washington

Average yearly wage, 2021: $82,508 (+7.5% from 2020)
Average weekly wage, 2021: $1,586
Minimum wage, 2022: $14.49

Unemployment taxes/trust fund

Taxes collected, Q2-2022: $469.5M
CY14 = $1.52B; CY15 = $1.33B; CY16 = $1.18B; CY17 = $1.12B;
CY18 = $1.09B; CY19 = $1.09B; CY20 = $1.20B; CY21 = $1.60B

Low/high tax rates, 2022: 0.23-6.02%, Avg. = 1.06%
($130-$3,401 per worker earning =/> $56,500/year)

Taxable wage base: 2022: $62,500; 2021: $56,500

Trust fund balance, 8/30/2022: $2.9B

WorkSource services (as of 8/31/2022)

Total jobs listed on WorkSourceWA.com: 1,577,533*
Total employers with job postings: 20,558*
Total employers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 29,129*
Total job seekers with WorkSourceWA.com accounts: 860,248*
WorkSource customers who found jobs: 69,352**

*Since WorkSourceWA.com go-live May 2016
**Rolling four quarters (CY2020 Q4 through CY2021 Q4)

ESD employees (as of 8/31/2022)

Number of employees: 2,148 (2,070 perm)
Employee ages <25 = 1.0%; 25-39 = 25.5%; 
40-54 = 39.4%; 55+ = 34.1%
Employees of color: 40.0%

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 2022 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 rack 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 2020/2021, please contact the DATA Division at data@esd.wa.gov.

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