OLYMPIA — Washington's job market saw positive growth in June, with an estimated 7,100 new jobs added and the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.9%. While the unemployment rate had been slowly rising over the past few months, it still remained below 5% since summer 2021 according to the Washington Employment Security Department. 

 “The unemployment rate has been climbing slowly over the past several months but held steady over the month and has remained below 5% since summer 2021,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for WAESDt in a press release. “Washington businesses collectively added about 7,000 new jobs in June — with a great deal of variation by industry.”

WAESD reported a decrease in paid unemployment claims in June, with reductions seen in industries such as agriculture and construction. The total number of individuals receiving unemployment benefits decreased by 3,449 compared to the previous month.

Eight major industry sectors in Washington experienced growth from May to June, with private sector employment showing an increase of 6,600 jobs. The largest gains were seen in construction, professional and business services and other services. Within the construction sector, specialty trade contractors saw the highest job gains. Meanwhile, professional, scientific and technical services led the gains in the professional and business services sector. The other services sector also showed growth across various industries, with repair and maintenance seeing the largest increases.

Four sectors saw a decrease in employment during the same period: information, retail trade, manufacturing and education and health services. Despite these reductions, the overall job market in the state remained strong with positive growth in several key sectors.

Looking at the annual employment data from June 2023 to June 2024, Washington gained 51,000 jobs, with private-sector employment rising by 1.1% and public-sector employment growing by 3.1%. The education and health services sector saw the largest employment gains, followed by government and professional and business services. On the other hand, the information and retail trade sectors reported the biggest employment losses during this period.