Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Unemployment rate
1990–2024BLS state series; the 1971 aerospace slump and the 2020 shutdown are both visible.
Employment
People at work.
Total nonfarm payroll jobs
1990–2025BLS Current Employment Statistics, annual average (FRED WANA).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Employment (M) | 3.06 | 161.3 |
- •Washington has set repeated records for total employment since 2022.
Unemployment
Joblessness.
Unemployment rate
1976–2024BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average of seasonally adjusted months (FRED WAUR).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (%) | 4.6 | 4.1 |
- •Washington's unemployment rate is structurally a bit above the national average because of seasonal work in agriculture, fishing and construction.
Labor Force
Size of the working population.
Civilian labor force
1976–2024BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average (FRED WALF).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Labor force participation (%) | 63.8 | 62.6 |
- •Boeing and Microsoft alone anchor supply chains employing hundreds of thousands of Washington workers.
Occupations
Largest job categories.
Workers in management, business, science and arts occupations
2008–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, civilian employed 16+, C24010 (2020 not released).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing share of jobs (%) | 15.7 | 8.0 |
- •About one in six Washington jobs is in manufacturing, roughly double the national share.
Salaries
Pay levels.
Average weekly earnings, private sector
2007–2025BLS Current Employment Statistics, annual average (FRED SMU53000000500000011).
Average hourly earnings, private sector
2007–2025BLS Current Employment Statistics, annual average (FRED SMU53000000500000003).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Average annual wage (USD) | 83900 | 71000 |
- •Washington has the highest statewide minimum wage in the country, and Seattle and SeaTac set even higher local floors.
Remote Work
Working from home.
Workers who work from home
2006–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Remote work share (%) | 20.8 | 13.8 |
- •Seattle has one of the highest remote-work shares of any large U.S. metro, reshaping downtown office demand since 2020.
Workforce Participation
Share of adults in the labor force.
Labor force participation rate
1976–2024BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average (FRED LBSSA53).
| Indicator | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Labor force participation (%) | 65.4 | 62.6 |
- •Washington consistently ranks among the top ten states for labour force participation.