Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increases again, with 908 more residents without a job

Whatcom County’s unemployment rate increased for the third month in a row last month, with more people unemployed in December than November as Washington state’s unemployment rate also increased.

Whatcom County unemployment

Whatcom County had a 5.1% unemployment rate in December with 5,881 unemployed people in the county, an increase of 908 unemployed people compared to November.

In November, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 4.3%, with 4,973 residents receiving unemployment benefits.

In December 2022, Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was 5.1%, the same as December 2023.

Whatcom County’s unemployment rate hit an extreme high of 17.4% in April 2020, and since then has fluctuated.

Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate in December at 9.4%, and King County had the lowest rate of 3.5%.

Washington state unemployment rates

The Washington State Employment Security Department’s December 2023 monthly employment report found that the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from November’s 4% unemployment rate to 4.2% in December.

As of December 2023, Washington had the 13th highest unemployment rate in the United States, according to a report by WalletHub, a finance website.

In December, 170,380 people in the state were unemployed, 8,807 more than in November 2023, according to the report.

Last December, 182,587 people in the state were unemployed, 12,207 more than December 2023.

All data comes from the Washington State Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.