Mason County profile

Summary

Mason County is small and largely rural. As such, the largest employment sector is local government. Many residents commute to nearby Thurston, Pierce, and Kitsap counties. Within Mason County, the largest private employment sectors are retail trade, accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance, and manufacturing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Mason County hit a peak of 17.4%. Unemployment returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, and has hovered in the 5-6% rate since.

Location

 

Mason county is in the South Puget Sound region. Its neighboring counties are Jefferson and Kitsap counties to the north, Pierce County to the east, Thurston County to the south, and Grays Harbor County to the west. The largest city is Shelton.

Mason County is part of the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Area. Visit the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board website for information about the 12 workforce regions. 

Employment situation for December 2024

Labor force and unemployment

• The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.0% in December 2024, up from 5.7% in November 2024 and down from 6.5% in December 2023.

• The total civilian labor force was 24,965, with little change from the previous year.

• The number of unemployed persons was 1,504, down slightly from 1,645 in December 2023.

Unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted

Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Local area unemployment statistics

Payroll employment

• Total nonfarm employment was 15,210 in December 2024, not seasonally adjusted. This was down by 260 jobs from the previous month, but up by 110 jobs (0.7%) from December 2023.

• Over the year, employment in goods producing industries decreased by 80 jobs. Employment in service providing industries increased by 180 jobs.

• The largest over the year increases were in government (130 jobs), wholesale trade (90 jobs), and professional and business services (50 jobs).

• The largest over the year decreases were in retail trade (-120 jobs), manufacturing (-80 jobs), and in state and local government education (-60 jobs).

Nonfarm employment estimates, not seasonally adjusted, Mason County

Note: Data benchmarked through June 2024, updated Jan. 16, 2025. Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research (LMIR) Division, Washington employment estimates (WA-QB & CES) 

Industry employment (covered employment)

Employment by industry, Mason County 2023 annual average

Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Covered Employment (QCEW)

Average annual covered employment in Mason County was 14,639 and the average annual wage was $54,836 in 2023. Covered employment refers to workers who received wages in Washington state and are eligible for state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) compensation programs.

Government is the largest employer in Mason County. At 5,642 jobs, this sector is as large as the next three biggest (retail trade, accommodation and food services, and healthcare and social assistance).

Top five sectors in terms of employment in 2023:

• Government (5,642)
• Retail trade (1,755)
• Accommodation and food services (1,330)
• Health care and social assistance (1,271)
• Manufacturing (928)

The top five sectors in terms of wage in 2023:

• Professional, scientific, and technical services ($83,484)
• Finance and insurance ($70,585)
• Government ($70,365)
• Information ($63,570)
• Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ($61,849)

Workforce demographics for Mason County

Mason County has a large population 55 and older, which contributes to a lower labor force participation rate (50.5%) than the statewide average. Younger workers tend to have higher unemployment, as do workers with disabilities (11.4% unemployment) and those with less than a high school diploma (11.0% unemployment). Visit the U.S. Census Bureau website for quick facts about Mason County.

Age

Race or Hispanic origin

Sex

Females with children

Poverty status in the past 12 months

Disability status

Educational attainment

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, S2301 | Employment Status.

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