Washington Job Growth

There were 3,350,000 jobs in Washington in May 2021 according to the CES survey of employers. The CPS survey of households showed 3,670,328 employed persons for the month. Washington added 8,300 jobs in May 2021 according to the CES survey while the broader CPS employment measure rose by 18,560 (Comparing CES and CPS employment numbers.). Also available is Washington job growth compared to other states.

Washington Employment Changes

The charts below shows the monthly job growth for Washington as measured by the CES and CPS surveys. To illustrate the trend, the 3 month moving average change in employment is shown in green.

CES Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month

CPS Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month

Total Employment in Washington

CES employment peaked in February 2020 for Washington at 3,513,100. Since then 163,100 jobs have been lost in Washington according to the employer survey. From a trough of 3,098,200 in May 2020, Washington has gained 251,800 jobs according to CES employment figures.

CPS employment in Washington reached a maximum of 3,799,953 in January 2020. 129,625 jobs have been lost in Washington since then according to the household survey. From a April 2020 low of 3,336,286, Washington has added 334,042 jobs according to the CPS survey.

Employment: CES, CPS

Washington Employment History