Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in Washington

Counties in Washington by unemployment rate, August 2026

Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate of 39 counties in August 2026, at 6.8%. Asotin County had the lowest, at 2.9%. The median was 4.6% and the figure for Washington was 4.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.8Ferry County
Lowest2.9Asotin County
Median4.639 counties
Washington4.9History

All counties, August 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Ferry CountyFerry County: 6.8 %6.8Wahkiakum CountyWahkiakum County: 6.5 %6.5Pacific CountyPacific County: 6.1 %6.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 5.6 %5.6Yakima CountyYakima County: 5.5 %5.5Grays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor County: 5.4 %5.4Grant CountyGrant County: 5.3 %5.3Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County: 5.2 %5.2Mason CountyMason County: 5.2 %5.2Pierce CountyPierce County: 5.1 %5.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.9 %4.9Pend Oreille CountyPend Oreille County: 4.9 %4.9Stevens CountyStevens County: 4.9 %4.9Clark CountyClark County: 4.8 %4.8Skagit CountySkagit County: 4.8 %4.8Snohomish CountySnohomish County: 4.8 %4.8Douglas CountyDouglas County: 4.7 %4.7Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.7 %4.7King CountyKing County: 4.7 %4.7Kittitas CountyKittitas County: 4.6 %4.6Klickitat CountyKlickitat County: 4.5 %4.5Okanogan CountyOkanogan County: 4.5 %4.5Whatcom CountyWhatcom County: 4.5 %4.5Benton CountyBenton County: 4.4 %4.4Clallam CountyClallam County: 4.4 %4.4Island CountyIsland County: 4.3 %4.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 4.3 %4.3Kitsap CountyKitsap County: 4.3 %4.3Thurston CountyThurston County: 4.3 %4.3Walla Walla CountyWalla Walla County: 4.2 %4.2Whitman CountyWhitman County: 4.2 %4.2Skamania CountySkamania County: 4.1 %4.1Spokane CountySpokane County: 4.1 %4.1Adams CountyAdams County: 4 %4Chelan CountyChelan County: 4 %4Columbia CountyColumbia County: 3.9 %3.9Garfield CountyGarfield County: 3.4 %3.4San Juan CountySan Juan County: 3.1 %3.1Asotin CountyAsotin County: 2.9 %2.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2026 (%)Change on August 2025
1Ferry County Provisional6.8+0.1 pts
2Wahkiakum County Provisional6.5-0.4 pts
3Pacific County Provisional6.1+0.3 pts
4Lewis County Provisional5.6+0.2 pts
5Yakima County Provisional5.50 pts
6Grays Harbor County Provisional5.4-0.2 pts
7Grant County Provisional5.3-0.2 pts
8Cowlitz County Provisional5.2-0.2 pts
8Mason County Provisional5.2-0.2 pts
10Pierce County Provisional5.10 pts
11Lincoln County Provisional4.9-0.3 pts
11Pend Oreille County Provisional4.9-0.4 pts
11Stevens County Provisional4.9-0.4 pts
14Clark County Provisional4.80 pts
14Skagit County Provisional4.8+0.1 pts
14Snohomish County Provisional4.80 pts
17Douglas County Provisional4.70 pts
17Franklin County Provisional4.7-0.2 pts
17King County Provisional4.70 pts
20Kittitas County Provisional4.6-0.2 pts
21Klickitat County Provisional4.5-0.4 pts
21Okanogan County Provisional4.5+0.2 pts
21Whatcom County Provisional4.50 pts
24Benton County Provisional4.4-0.1 pts
24Clallam County Provisional4.4-0.2 pts
26Island County Provisional4.3-0.3 pts
26Jefferson County Provisional4.3-0.6 pts
26Kitsap County Provisional4.3+0.1 pts
26Thurston County Provisional4.3-0.3 pts
30Walla Walla County Provisional4.20 pts
30Whitman County Provisional4.2+0.4 pts
32Skamania County Provisional4.1-0.4 pts
32Spokane County Provisional4.1-0.2 pts
34Adams County Provisional4-0.1 pts
34Chelan County Provisional4+0.1 pts
36Columbia County Provisional3.9-0.3 pts
37Garfield County Provisional3.4-0.7 pts
38San Juan County Provisional3.10 pts
39Asotin County Provisional2.9-0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Ferry County, with 6.8% in August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Asotin County, with 2.9% in August 2026.

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, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings