The Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) this week released the unemployment rates for May 2026, showing that unemployment decreased in both Lewis and Thurston counties from March.
Specifically, Lewis County’s unemployment rate went from 6.3% in March to 6.0% in May, while Thurston County saw its unemployment rate fall from 4.7% to 4.5%.
In Skamania County, the unemployment rate fell from 5.5% to 4.5%. Other counties saw rate changes, including: a decrease in Pierce County from 5.3% to 5.2%; a decrease in Grays Harbor County from 6.3% to 5.8%; Pacific County fell from 7.3% to 6.7%; Wahkiakum County rose from 7.6% to 7.8%; in Clark County, the rate decreased from 5.1% to 4.8%; and Cowlitz County fell from 5.9% in March to 5.5% in May.
Across Washington state, the unemployment rate has remained the same from 5.2% in March to 5.2% in May.
For more information, view the ESD’s monthly employment reports on its website at https://tinyurl.com/2sj6tnzz.
