State jobless rate edges downward

Washington state’s unemployment rate continued its gradual descent in January, preliminary data from the Washington state Employment Security Department shows.

The monthly unemployment rate came in at 4.3% in January, compared with 4.4% in December and 4.6% the year-earlier month.

The state’s total job count also dropped by about 1,100 jobs in the first month of 2025, with the private sector decreasing by 400 jobs over the month and the public sector shedding 700 jobs.

“Washington’s labor market is still relatively strong, but growth has slowed over the past several months,” says Anneliese Vance-Sherman, ESD chief labor economist, in a press release.

Washington’s labor force in January was roughly 4.1 million, up 3,800 people from the previous month.