Washington sees job loss of 13,600 in August with stable unemployment rate

WASHINGTON – The Washington State Employment Security Department reported a decrease of 13,600 jobs in August this year. Despite this decline, the state's unemployment rate remained steady at 4.5%.

This rate mirrored the unemployment rate from last year, indicating ongoing challenges in the job market.

In August, Employment Security paid unemployment benefits to 62,375 people, marking a decrease of 1,806 from the previous month.

Nationally, the unemployment rate rose slightly from 4.2% in July 2025 to 4.3% in August 2025.

While Washington experienced these changes, Idaho's August unemployment rate is anticipated soon. As of July, it stood at 3.7%. Meanwhile, Montana's unemployment rate held at 2.8% in July.