Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW)

King County had the highest covered employment (QCEW) of 39 counties in 2014, at 1,237,586 jobs. Wahkiakum County had the lowest, at 716 jobs. The median was 18,359 jobs and the figure for Washington was 3,043,562 jobs. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,237,586King County
Median18,35939 counties
Washington3,043,562History

Map of counties, 2014

Adams County: 7,745 jobsAsotin County: 5,769 jobsBenton County: 79,909 jobsChelan County: 41,341 jobsClallam County: 22,041 jobsClark County: 139,704 jobsColumbia County: 1,281 jobsCowlitz County: 36,843 jobsDouglas County: 11,379 jobsFerry County: 1,698 jobsFranklin County: 31,845 jobsGarfield County: 748 jobsGrant County: 38,883 jobsGrays Harbor County: 21,767 jobsIsland County: 15,199 jobsJefferson County: 7,920 jobsKing County: 1,237,586 jobsKitsap County: 82,416 jobsKittitas County: 13,907 jobsKlickitat County: 7,004 jobsLewis County: 23,573 jobsLincoln County: 2,923 jobsMason County: 13,903 jobsOkanogan County: 18,359 jobsPacific County: 6,205 jobsPend Oreille County: 2,876 jobsPierce County: 277,890 jobsSan Juan County: 5,443 jobsSkagit County: 48,300 jobsSkamania County: 2,098 jobsSnohomish County: 267,792 jobsSpokane County: 205,671 jobsStevens County: 9,746 jobsThurston County: 103,078 jobsWahkiakum County: 716 jobsWalla Walla County: 27,058 jobsWhatcom County: 83,696 jobsWhitman County: 17,544 jobsYakima County: 106,590 jobs
  • Under 10K
  • 10K to 20K
  • 20K to 40K
  • 40K to 100K
  • 100K and over
jobs, 2014. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2014

King County: 1,237,586 jobsKing County1,237,586Pierce County: 277,890 jobsPierce County277,890Snohomish County: 267,792 jobsSnohomish County267,792Spokane County: 205,671 jobsSpokane County205,671Clark County: 139,704 jobsClark County139,704Yakima County: 106,590 jobsYakima County106,590Thurston County: 103,078 jobsThurston County103,078Whatcom County: 83,696 jobsWhatcom County83,696Kitsap County: 82,416 jobsKitsap County82,416Benton County: 79,909 jobsBenton County79,909Skagit County: 48,300 jobsSkagit County48,300Chelan County: 41,341 jobsChelan County41,341Grant County: 38,883 jobsGrant County38,883Cowlitz County: 36,843 jobsCowlitz County36,843Franklin County: 31,845 jobsFranklin County31,845Walla Walla County: 27,058 jobsWalla Walla County27,058Lewis County: 23,573 jobsLewis County23,573Clallam County: 22,041 jobsClallam County22,041Grays Harbor County: 21,767 jobsGrays Harbor County21,767Okanogan County: 18,359 jobsOkanogan County18,359Whitman County: 17,544 jobsWhitman County17,544Island County: 15,199 jobsIsland County15,199Kittitas County: 13,907 jobsKittitas County13,907Mason County: 13,903 jobsMason County13,903Douglas County: 11,379 jobsDouglas County11,379Stevens County: 9,746 jobsStevens County9,746Jefferson County: 7,920 jobsJefferson County7,920Adams County: 7,745 jobsAdams County7,745Klickitat County: 7,004 jobsKlickitat County7,004Pacific County: 6,205 jobsPacific County6,205Asotin County: 5,769 jobsAsotin County5,769San Juan County: 5,443 jobsSan Juan County5,443Lincoln County: 2,923 jobsLincoln County2,923Pend Oreille County: 2,876 jobsPend Oreille County2,876Skamania County: 2,098 jobsSkamania County2,098Ferry County: 1,698 jobsFerry County1,698Columbia County: 1,281 jobsColumbia County1,281Garfield County: 748 jobsGarfield County748Wahkiakum County: 716 jobsWahkiakum County716King County: 1,237,586 jobsKing County1,237,586Pierce County: 277,890 jobsPierce County277,890Snohomish County: 267,792 jobsSnohomish County267,792Spokane County: 205,671 jobsSpokane County205,671Clark County: 139,704 jobsClark County139,704Yakima County: 106,590 jobsYakima County106,590Thurston County: 103,078 jobsThurston County103,078Whatcom County: 83,696 jobsWhatcom County83,696Kitsap County: 82,416 jobsKitsap County82,416Benton County: 79,909 jobsBenton County79,909Skagit County: 48,300 jobsSkagit County48,300Chelan County: 41,341 jobsChelan County41,341Grant County: 38,883 jobsGrant County38,883Cowlitz County: 36,843 jobsCowlitz County36,843Franklin County: 31,845 jobsFranklin County31,845Walla Walla County: 27,058 jobsWalla Walla County27,058Lewis County: 23,573 jobsLewis County23,573Clallam County: 22,041 jobsClallam County22,041Grays Harbor County: 21,767 jobsGrays Harbor County21,767Okanogan County: 18,359 jobsOkanogan County18,359Whitman County: 17,544 jobsWhitman County17,544Island County: 15,199 jobsIsland County15,199Kittitas County: 13,907 jobsKittitas County13,907Mason County: 13,903 jobsMason County13,903Douglas County: 11,379 jobsDouglas County11,379Stevens County: 9,746 jobsStevens County9,746Jefferson County: 7,920 jobsJefferson County7,920Adams County: 7,745 jobsAdams County7,745Klickitat County: 7,004 jobsKlickitat County7,004Pacific County: 6,205 jobsPacific County6,205Asotin County: 5,769 jobsAsotin County5,769San Juan County: 5,443 jobsSan Juan County5,443Lincoln County: 2,923 jobsLincoln County2,923Pend Oreille County: 2,876 jobsPend Oreille County2,876Skamania County: 2,098 jobsSkamania County2,098Ferry County: 1,698 jobsFerry County1,698Columbia County: 1,281 jobsColumbia County1,281Garfield County: 748 jobsGarfield County748Wahkiakum County: 716 jobsWahkiakum County716
jobs. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2014
jobs
Change on 2013
1King County1,237,586+3.2%
2Pierce County277,890+3%
3Snohomish County267,792+1.6%
4Spokane County205,671+1.7%
5Clark County139,704+4.3%
6Yakima County106,590+2.9%
7Thurston County103,078+3.2%
8Whatcom County83,696+1.7%
9Kitsap County82,416+2.5%
10Benton County79,909+2%
11Skagit County48,300+2.2%
12Chelan County41,341+4.3%
13Grant County38,883+4.5%
14Cowlitz County36,843+3.9%
15Franklin County31,845+2.3%
16Walla Walla County27,058+2%
17Lewis County23,573-0%
18Clallam County22,041+0.3%
19Grays Harbor County21,767+0.3%
20Okanogan County18,359+4.8%
21Whitman County17,544+0.4%
22Island County15,199+2%
23Kittitas County13,907-0.2%
24Mason County13,903+2.4%
25Douglas County11,379+4.1%
26Stevens County9,746+2.4%
27Jefferson County7,920+1.7%
28Adams County7,745+5%
29Klickitat County7,004+2.1%
30Pacific County6,205+2.4%
31Asotin County5,769+2.1%
32San Juan County5,443+1.8%
33Lincoln County2,923+1.2%
34Pend Oreille County2,876+1.3%
35Skamania County2,098+0.2%
36Ferry County1,698+2.5%
37Columbia County1,281+2.1%
38Garfield County748-0.9%
39Wahkiakum County716+2%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

Counts jobs, not people: someone with two jobs counts twice. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools. A count of employer reports, not a survey estimate like oews_employment.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW), 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW), 2014. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/washington-counties?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW), 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/washington-counties?period=2014.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW), 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/washington-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_washington_by_2014,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW), 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/washington-counties?period=2014. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Washington by covered employment (QCEW), 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/washington-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/washington-counties?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest covered employment (QCEW)?

King County, with 1,237,586 jobs in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest covered employment (QCEW)?

Wahkiakum County, with 716 jobs in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Covered employment (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings