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December 2025 highlights
Updated January 2026
Compared to November 2025, the unemployment rate increased from 4.3% to 5.1% (13,350 unemployed individuals). Employers reported 800 fewer jobs on payrolls (for a total of 266,100 jobs).
Spokane County's labor market highlights
- Spokane County is in Eastern Washington and shares its eastern border with Idaho.
- An estimated 555,947 people live in the county, and the largest demographic is people 25-to-34-years of age.
- The City of Spokane is the second-largest city in Washington and serves as the business, transportation, medical, industrial and cultural hub of the Inland Northwest.
Contact Spokane County's labor economist
Mike McBride, North central / Northeast region
- Email Mike: michael.mcbride@esd.wa.gov
- Call Mike: 564-250-3924
Spokane County is part of the Spokane Workforce Development Area. Visit the workforce board’s website for information about Washington’s 12 workforce regions.
Spokane County is part of the Spokane-Spokane Valley MSA.
Employment updates for December 2025
Changes to the labor force and unemployment
The December 2025 unemployment rate is 5.1% in Spokane County, 5.3% in Washington state and 4.1% in the United States.
| Spokane County unemployment rate | Dec 2025 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participant (labor force) | 262,363 | 263,906 | 261,288 |
| Employed persons | 249,013 | 252,552 | 248,893 |
| Persons seeking work | 13,350 | 11,354 | 12,395 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.3% | 4.7% |
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research (LMIR) Division, Local area unemployment statistics (LAUS)
Spokane County unemployment rate, 2023 to 2025
The unemployment rate in Spokane County tends to follow Washington State overall, as the county is highly integrated with the state's economy.
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4.9% |
5.2% |
4.4% |
3.3% |
3.0% |
2.7% |
3.6% |
4.4% |
3.7% |
4.1% |
4.0% |
5.1% |
|
5.3% |
5.8% |
5.0% |
3.8% |
4.1% |
3.8% |
4.6% |
4.7% |
3.7% |
4.1% |
4.3% |
4.7% |
|
5.1% |
5.7% |
4.4% |
3.7% |
3.9% |
3.4% |
4.2% |
4.3% |
3.6% |
4.3% |
5.1% |
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research (LMIR) Division, Local area unemployment statistics (LAUS)
Key changes in payroll employment
This includes all employees with paid positions tracked in a company’s payroll system. This doesn’t include persons working outside of formal payroll such as freelancers, contractors and self-employed individuals. Numbers in this section are estimates generated by a monthly survey.
In December 2025, Spokane County has 266,100 jobs.
One month ago, in November 2025, there were 800 more jobs (266,900 in total.)
Compared to that month, in December there are:
- 600 fewer jobs in Government with job declines in both the State and Local Government sectors.
- 400 fewer jobs in Professional and business services
- 200 fewer jobs in Private education and health services
- 200 fewer jobs in Mining, logging and construction
In December 2024 there were 1,200 fewer jobs (264,900 in total).
Compared to that month, this December there are:
- 1,300 (11.0%) more jobs in Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
- 600 (2.1%) fewer jobs in Professional and business services
- 500 (1.2%) fewer jobs in Government
- 400 (2.9%) more jobs in Financial activities
- Other noteworthy job changes occurred in Mining, logging and construction, which added 300 jobs over the year.
Employment estimates for Spokane-Spokane Valley Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
This MSA employment data shows combined data from Spokane and Stevens counties
See a snapshot of this month's data below. A detailed spreadsheet titled Current employment estimates, not seasonally adjusted is on the source page of our site.
Total jobs
| Industry | Dec 2025 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2024 | Nov 2025 to Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 266,100 | 266,900 | 264,900 | -800 | 1,200 | 0.5% |
| - Private | 223,700 | 223,900 | 222,000 | -200 | 1,700 | 0.8% |
| - Government | 42,400 | 43,000 | 42,900 | -600 | -500 | -1.2% |
Goods-producing jobs
| Industry | Dec 2025 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2024 | Nov 2025 to Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goods-producing | 32,700 | 32,800 | 32,300 | -100 | 400 | 1.2% |
| - Mining, logging and construction | 15,300 | 15,500 | 15,000 | -200 | 300 | 2.0% |
| - Manufacturing | 17,400 | 17,300 | 17,300 | 100 | 100 | 0.6% |
Service-providing jobs
| Industry | Dec 2025 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2024 | Nov 2025 to Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service-providing | 233,400 | 234,100 | 232,600 | -700 | 800 | 0.3% |
| - Wholesale trade | 10,900 | 10,900 | 11,000 | 0 | -100 | -0.9% |
| - Retail trade | 28,500 | 28,400 | 28,200 | 100 | 300 | 1.1% |
| - Transportation, warehousing, and utilities | 13,100 | 13,000 | 11,800 | 100 | 1,300 | 11.0% |
| - Information | 2,800 | 2,700 | 2,800 | 100 | 0 | 0.0% |
| - Financial activities | 14,200 | 14,100 | 13,800 | 100 | 400 | 2.9% |
| - Professional and business services | 27,800 | 28,200 | 28,400 | -400 | -600 | -2.1% |
| - Private education and health services | 60,000 | 60,200 | 60,100 | -200 | -100 | -0.2% |
| - Leisure and hospitality | 24,100 | 24,000 | 24,200 | 100 | -100 | -0.4% |
| - Other services | 9,700 | 9,700 | 9,400 | 0 | 300 | 3.2% |
| - Government | 42,400 | 43,000 | 42,900 | -600 | -500 | -1.2% |
Note: Data benchmarked through June 2025, updated January 16, 2026. The current month’s data is preliminary. Analysts continue to refine past months as more related information becomes available. Industry columns use North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry titles. Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research Division, Washington employment estimates (WA-QB & CES)
Employment details for industries and sectors
This profile section uses the latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage (QCEW) annual averages data.
This quarterly census data includes both agricultural and nonagricultural employment and wages for firms, organizations and individuals with employees covered by the Washington State Employment Security Act. Covered employment refers to the total number of employees with this type of coverage.
Top sectors by employment
2024's annual average was 243,161 total covered employees.
- Healthcare and social assistance - 47,926 jobs.
- Government - 37,000 jobs.
- Retail trade - 26,288 jobs.
- Accommodation and food services - 20,041 jobs.
- Manufacturing - 16,191 jobs.
Top sectors by wages
2024’s annual average wage was $65,458 for covered employees.
- Management of companies and enterprises - $129,862.
- Utilities - $109,706.
- Finance and insurance - $107,658.
- Mining - $107,485.
- Professional, scientific and technical services - $97,027.
2024 annual average employment by industry
Source: Employment Security Department/Labor Market Information and Research (LMIR) Division, Covered Employment (QCEW)
Workforce demographics in Spokane County
Age
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 16 years and over | 438,738 | 61.8% | 5.7% |
| 16 to 19 years | 26,511 | 42.3% | 18.2% |
| 20 to 24 years | 35,080 | 77.1% | 8.7% |
| 25 to 29 years | 39,888 | 83.7% | 7.4% |
| 30 to 34 years | 41,186 | 80.7% | 5.4% |
| 35 to 44 years | 72,388 | 81.3% | 5.0% |
| 45 to 54 years | 63,071 | 78.9% | 4.3% |
| 55 to 59 years | 31,083 | 71.7% | 3.1% |
| 60 to 64 years | 36,976 | 56.1% | 2.4% |
| 65 to 74 years | 56,730 | 22.7% | 4.4% |
| 75 years and over | 35,825 | 5.0% | 6.4% |
Race or Hispanic origin
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 375,112 | 61.3% | 5.3% |
| Black or African American alone | 8,613 | 66.7% | 12.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone | 4,504 | 56.8% | 14.0% |
| Asian alone | 10,000 | 62.7% | 4.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone | 2,491 | 67.0% | 6.4% |
| Some other race alone | 8,653 | 71.4% | 6.6% |
| Two or more races | 29,365 | 64.6% | 8.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) | 26,166 | 69.0% | 6.1% |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino | 367,058 | 61.1% | 5.3% |
| Population 20 to 64 years | 319,672 | 76.7% | 5.2% |
Sex
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 161,744 | 80.7% | 5.8% |
| Female | 157,928 | 72.7% | 4.6% |
Females with children
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| With own children under 18 | 52,115 | 74.2% | 5.0% |
| With own children under 6 only | 11,439 | 67.8% | 7.2% |
| With own children under 6 and 6 to 17 | 11,370 | 65.9% | 7.8% |
| With own children 6 to 17 only | 29,306 | 79.9% | 3.4% |
Poverty status in the past 12 months
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below poverty level | 39,291 | 43.6% | 26.2% |
| At or above the poverty level | 274,815 | 82.6% | 3.6% |
Disability status
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| With any disability | 43,472 | 44.3% | 11.1% |
Educational attainment
| Demographic characteristic | Total | Labor force participation rate | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 25 to 64 years | 284,592 | 76.7% | 4.8% |
| Less than high school graduate | 15,934 | 54.7% | 11.9% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 68,014 | 71.8% | 5.9% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 109,627 | 75.5% | 5.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 91,017 | 85.6% | 2.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, S2301 | Employment Status
Funding
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, expressed or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.