OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington's unemployment rate is holding steady at 4.5%, a report released Wednesday shows. This is slightly higher than the national average of 4.2% reported in July 2025.

"After a slow start to 2025, job growth in June and July brought the Washington employment landscape back to the overall story of continuing, but slowing, growth," said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist at the Employment Security Department.

From June to July 2025, the number of people unemployed statewide increased by 500, the state said in a press release. That number went from 180,500 to 181,000. Some counties reported a higher unemployment rate than the state's 4.5%.

According to the Employment Security Department, private sector employment has increased by 0.3%. In contrast, public

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