Whatcom County unemployment rate fell sharply in September but remains higher than last year
Monthly unemployment rates for Whatcom County and Bellingham dropped in September, while Washington had the fifth-highest unemployment rates in the United States.
Whatcom County unemployment
Whatcom County had a 4.1% unemployment rate in September, with 4,524 unemployed people in the county, a dramatic decrease of 1,057 unemployed people compared to August.
In August, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 5% with 5,581 residents receiving unemployment benefits, a decrease compared to July.
Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increased compared to last year, as September 2023’s unemployment rate was 3.7%.
Whatcom County’s unemployment rate hit an extreme high of 17.4% in April 2020. Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate in September at 6.2%, and San Juan County and Asotin had the lowest rate at 2.9%.
Bellingham’s unemployment rate
The city of Bellingham’s unemployment rate decreased month to month. The city’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in September with 1,943 people unemployed, a slight decrease from August’s 5% unemployment rate with 2,387 people unemployed.
Washington state
Washington’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from August to September, according to the Washington State Employment Security Department’s September 2024 monthly employment report.
In September, Washington’s unemployment rate was 4.8% with 190,342 people in the state unemployed. In August, the unemployment rate was also 4.8%, with 3,962 more people unemployed than in September, according to the report.
Washington state had the fifth-highest unemployment rate in August, following Kentucky, California, Illinois and Nevada, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Washington’s unemployment rate in September 2023 was 3.6%, with 146,934 people in the state unemployed, 43,408 fewer than this September.
All data comes from the Washington State Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 11:04 AM.
