Whatcom County, Washington state unemployment rates increase from previous month and year

Whatcom County and Bellingham unemployment rates increased in May, as Washington’s unemployment rate also jumped compared to last month and last year.

Whatcom County unemployment

Whatcom County had a 4.6% unemployment rate in May, with 5,390 unemployed people in the county, an increase of 220 unemployed people compared to April.

In April, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 4.5% with 5,170 residents receiving unemployment benefits, a decrease compared to March.

Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increased compared to last year, as May 2023’s unemployment rate was 3.1%, 1.5% less than May 2024.

Whatcom County’s unemployment rate hit an extreme high of 17.4% in April 2020, and since then has fluctuated.

Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate in May at 7.7%, and Asotin County had the lowest rate of 3.3%.

Bellingham’s unemployment rate also increased month to month. The city’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in May with 2,246 people unemployed, a decrease from April’s 4.4% unemployment rate with 2,142 people unemployed.

Washington state unemployment rates

The Washington State Employment Security Department’s May 2024 monthly employment report found that the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate slightly increased from April to May.

In May, Washington’s unemployment rate was 4.9% with 195,793 people in the state unemployed. In April, the unemployment rate was 4.8%, with 1,384 fewer people unemployed than in May, according to the report.

Washington’s unemployment rate also increased compared to last year. In May 2023, 164,997 people in the state were unemployed, 30,796 fewer than this May.

All data comes from the Washington State Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.