Washington’s economy added an estimated 30,900 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in November, and the monthly unemployment rate decreased slightly to 4.6%.
The one-month gains are largely due to the Boeing machinists’ strike ending in October.
“Deep, temporary losses in October translated into large gains in November,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department. “Employment levels continue to increase, but the relative gains have slowed in recent months.”
In the past 12 months, the state added 27,300 jobs, a 0.8% increase.
Aerospace employment dropped by 30,700 in October. Despite that change, the unemployment rate dipped only slightly that month.
The retail trade, construction and wholesale trade industries experienced the largest job losses from October to November. Manufacturing, government, and leisure and hospitality led statewide employment growth during that same time.
The unemployment rate has hovered between 4.6% and 4.9% since January 2024. For comparison, the unemployment rate stood at 4.0% in November 2023.
Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 62,676 people in November, an increase of 5,619 over the previous month. Increases in paid claims in construction and agriculture contributed to the increase.
Visit Employment Security’s website to view the entire Monthly Employment Report for November 2024.
Updated state preliminary data for October 2024
- The preliminary estimated loss of 35,900 jobs was revised to a loss of 33,600.
- The seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate remained at 4.7%.
National unemployment rate
The national unemployment rate increased from 4.1% in October to 4.2% in November. For comparison, the national unemployment rate (revised) for November 2023 was 3.7%.
Labor force showed little change
From October to November 2024, the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased slightly from 187,734 to 185,430. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 77,063 to 76,248 over the same period.
The state’s labor force in November stood at 3,990,151 – a decrease of 5,523 people from the previous month. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 11,280 people during the same period.
Labor force is defined as the total number of people, both employed and unemployed, over the age of 16. Layoffs and labor force participation are not necessarily connected. When people are laid off but still seeking work, they remain a part of the labor force. A drop in the labor force means people have left work and haven’t been actively seeking employment for more than four weeks.
Six major industry sectors expanded, six contracted from October to November
Private sector employment increased by 29,200 jobs from October to November. Government employment increased by 1,700 during that same time.
The largest sector-level gains in private industry were in manufacturing (up 31,200 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 3,600).
- The highest one-month gains in manufacturing were due to the Boeing machinists’ strike ending. October employment estimates for aerospace employment dropped by 30,700 during the strike.
- The highest one-month increases in leisure and hospitality were in the arts, entertainment and recreation industries, which recovered 3,500 jobs.
- The deepest one-month sector losses were in retail trade (down 1,800), construction (down 1,700) and wholesale trade (down 1,600).
Three other sectors saw decreases in employment: transportation, warehousing and utilities (down 1,200); education and health services (down 800); and professional and business services (down 400).
Annual employment growth appears in public and private industries
Washington gained an estimated 27,300 jobs from November 2023 to November 2024 (not seasonally adjusted). During that time, private sector employment increased by 0.12%, increasing by 3,700 jobs. Public sector employment grew 4%, increasing by an estimated 23,600 jobs.
The two industry sectors with the largest employment gains year over year (not seasonally adjusted) were:
- Education and health services, up 17,500 jobs.
- Manufacturing, up 2,200 jobs.
The wholesale trade sector reported the biggest employment loss year over year (not seasonally adjusted). It contracted by 4,700. Within the sector, nondurable goods decreased an estimated 2,400 jobs.
Table 1: Washington’s total jobs
| Month | Total jobs (losses or gains) | Unemployment rate | Previous year’s unemployment rate |
| November 2024 | +30,900 | 4.6% | 4.0% |
| October 2024 | -33,600* | 4.7%* | 3.8% |
| September 2024 | -2,800* | 4.8%* | 3.6% |
| August 2024 | +2,100* | 4.8%* | 3.6% |
| July 2024 | -3,100* | 4.9%* | 3.6% |
| June 2024 | +8,700* | 4.8%* | 3.8% |
| May 2024 | +16,300* | 4.9%* | 4.1% |
| April 2024 | +6,800* | 4.8%* | 4.3% |
| March 2024 | +8,400* | 4.8%* | 4.5% |
| February 2024 | +3,900* | 4.7%* | 4.6% |
| January 2024 | -2,700* | 4.6%* | 4.6% |
| December 2023 | +18,500* | 4.2%* | 4.5% |
| November 2023 | +4,800* | 4.0%* | 4.6% |
| October 2023 | -6,900* | 3.8%* | 4.6% |
| September 2023 | +300 * | 3.6%* | 4.4% |
| August 2023 | +2,500* | 3.6%* | 4.3% |
| July 2023 | -6,300* | 3.6%* | 4.1% |
| June 2023 | +17,300* | 3.8%* | 3.9% |
| May 2023 | +3,800* | 4.1%* | 3.9% |
| April 2023 | +7,700* | 4.3%* | 3.9% |
| March 2023 | +1,000* | 4.5%* | 3.9% |
| February 2023 | +7,600* | 4.6%* | 4.0% |
| January 2023 | +4,200* | 4.6%* | 4.0% |
| December 2022 | +10,400* | 4.5%* | 4.1% |
| November 2022 | -700* | 4.6%* | 4.3% |
*Revised from previous preliminary estimates. Preliminary monthly estimates for job losses or gains are based on a small Bureau of Labor Statistics payroll survey. Actual figures reported the following month are based on a more complete survey.
Table 2: November job gains and losses by industry
| Industry sector | Job gains, losses |
| Manufacturing | 31,200 |
| Leisure and hospitality | 3,600 |
| Government | 1,700 |
| Financial activities | 1,100 |
| Information | 400 |
| Other services | 400 |
| Mining and logging | 0 |
| Professional and business services | -400 |
| Education and health services | -800 |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | -1,200 |
| Wholesale trade | -1,600 |
| Construction | -1,700 |
| Retail trade | -1,800 |
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