Monthly unemployment rates drop in Whatcom Co. and statewide, while Bellingham’s increases

Monthly unemployment rates for Whatcom County and Washington state decreased in June, while Bellingham’s unemployment rate increased from May to June.

Whatcom County unemployment

Whatcom County had a 4.4% unemployment rate in June, with 5,176 unemployed people in the county, a decrease of 214 unemployed people compared to May.

In May, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 4.6% with 5,390 residents receiving unemployment benefits, an increase compared to April.

Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increased compared to last year, as June 2023’s unemployment rate was 3.1%, 1.3% less than June 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 June at 7.5%, and Asotin County had the lowest rate of 3.4%.

Bellingham’s unemployment rate increased month to month. The city’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in June with 2,231 people unemployed, an increase from May’s 4.4% unemployment rate with 2,118 people unemployed.

Washington state unemployment rates

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

In June, Washington’s unemployment rate was 4.9% with 195,191 people in the state unemployed. In May, the unemployment rate was also 4.9%, with 355 more people unemployed than in June, according to the report.

In June 2023, 154,358 people in the state were unemployed, 40,833 fewer than this June.

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