State unemployment rate drops as Washington adds jobs

Washington state added thousands of jobs in construction and hospitality in the final month of 2024 and recorded the lowest unemployment rate of the year, according to state labor data. 

Private sector employers added nearly 12,000 more jobs to the economy in December, even as government employment dipped slightly. That brought the unemployment rate to 4.5%, comparable to where it was at the end of 2023. 

“Washington’s labor economy finished 2024 strong,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the state Employment Security Department, in a news release. “The only two months with higher job gains in 2024 were in February and November.” 

County-level employment data is expected to be released Jan. 28. Despite the decline in public sector jobs in December, the government sector added roughly 17,600 jobs throughout 2024, compared to the private sector adding 13,000. 

The state unemployment rate also remains above the national unemployment rate of 3.8%.