Spokane-Spokane Valley, Washington Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Spokane rose 0.2 percentage points in January 2023 to 5.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Washington rate. The unemployment rate in Spokane peaked in April 2020 at 15.8% and is now 10.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.4% in July 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Spokane unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | January 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.4% | -0.1 | -0.6 |
| Washington | 4.6% | +0.1 | +0.6 |
| Spokane | 5.0% | +0.2 | +0.3 |
Unemployment Rate: Spokane, Washington, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Spokane, Washington Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Spokane peaked in April 2020 at 48,680. There are now 34,203 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 12,756 in September 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,721.
| Unemployed Persons | January 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane | 14,477 | +502 | +1,002 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Spokane, Washington Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Washington Unemployment Rate |
Spokane Unemployment Rate |
Spokane Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2023 |
3.6% | — | — | — |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 14,477 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 13,975 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 13,391 |
| October 2022 |
3.7% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 12,856 |
| September 2022 |
3.5% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 12,756 |
| August 2022 |
3.7% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 12,869 |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 12,962 |
| June 2022 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 13,330 |
| May 2022 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 13,272 |
| April 2022 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 13,103 |
| March 2022 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 13,158 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
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