Unemployment rates in Bellingham and Whatcom County decrease, while statewide rate jumps again
Whatcom County and Bellingham unemployment rates dropped in April, as Washington’s unemployment rate increased.
Whatcom County unemployment
Whatcom County had a 4.5% unemployment rate in April, with 5,170 unemployed people in the county, a decrease of 1,041 unemployed people compared to March.
In March, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 5.4% with 6,211 residents receiving unemployment benefits.
Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increased compared to last year, as April 2023’s unemployment rate was 3.8%, 0.7% less than April 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 April at 9.4%, and Asotin County had the lowest rate of 3.4%.
Bellingham’s unemployment rate also decreased month to month. The city’s unemployment rate was 4.4% in April with 2,159 people unemployed, a decrease from March’s 5.2% unemployment rate with 2,558 people unemployed.
Washington state unemployment rates
The Washington State Employment Security Department’s April 2024 monthly employment report found that the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate slightly increased from March to April.
In April, the unemployment rate was 4.8% with 194,705 people in the state unemployed. In March, the unemployment rate was also 4.8%, but there were 1,430 fewer people unemployed than in April, according to the report.
Washington’s unemployment rate also increased compared to last year. In April 2023, 174,456 people in the state were unemployed, 20,249 fewer than this April.
All data comes from the Washington State Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This story was originally published May 30, 2024 at 11:20 AM.
