Whatcom County’s unemployment rate jumps again; nearly 1,000 additional residents without jobs
Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increased for the fifth consecutive month in February as Washington’s unemployment rate also increased.
Whatcom County unemployment
Whatcom County had a 6.5% unemployment rate in February, with 7,433 unemployed people in the county, an increase of 960 unemployed people compared to January.
In January, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 5.6%, with 6,473 residents receiving unemployment benefits.
Whatcom County’s unemployment rate also increased compared to last year, as February 2023’s unemployment rate was 5.2%, 1.3% less than February 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 February at 13.2%, and King County had the lowest rate of 4.2%.
Bellingham’s unemployment rate was 6.4% in February with 3,128 people unemployed, an increase from January’s 5.3% unemployment rate with 2,586 people unemployed.
Washington state unemployment rates
The Washington State Employment Security Department’s February 2024 monthly employment report found that the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from January’s 4.6% unemployment rate to 4.7% in February.
In February, 190,891 people in the state were unemployed, 7,207 more than in January, according to the report.
In February 2023, 185,457 people in the state were unemployed, 5,434 less than this February.
As of December 2023, Washington had the 13th highest unemployment rate in the United States, according to a report by WalletHub, a finance website.
All data comes from the Washington State Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 1:00 PM.
