Grays Harbor holds 2nd highest statewide unemployment in April

The Grays Harbor unemployment rate dropped by over 1.5% from March to April, but the county moved into the 2nd highest rate statewide.

According to the Employment Security Department, the local unemployment rate dropped from 7.7% in March to 6.1% in April. 

The Civilian Labor Force dropped by almost 1000 people for the month within the county. 

In historical numbers, this larger drop in rate is typical between the months, although the 2023 difference is greater than seen in recent years. 

Those figures were skewed in 2020 due to the pandemic, but drops of 0.5 to 1% are not unusual.

Within Pacific County, they also saw a 1.5% drop, down to 5.3% in April compared to 6.8% in March. The county saw approximately 150 people come off the labor force.

Pacific County sits at 9th highest unemployment statewide, up from 10th highest in March.

Ferry topped the unemployment rates among counties by a large margin, with the Eastern Washington county having an 8.1% rate.

King County has the lowest rate in the state at 2.6%.

County County labor force Civilian Employment Unemployment Rate
Ferry 2,249 2,066 183 8.10%
Grays Harbor 29,331 27,533 1,798 6.10%
Stevens 19,413 18,264 1,149 5.90%
Pend Oreille 5,185 4,899 286 5.50%
Yakima 130,282 123,137 7,145 5.50%
Franklin 43,915 41,573 2,342 5.30%
Okanogan 19,289 18,270 1,019 5.30%
Pacific 8,691 8,229 462 5.30%
Wahkiakum 1,396 1,322 74 5.30%
Lewis 35,123 33,327 1,796 5.10%
Mason 25,828 24,515 1,313 5.10%
Clallam 28,809 27,424 1,385 4.80%
Grant 47,741 45,452 2,289 4.80%
Kittitas 22,750 21,651 1,099 4.80%
Garfield 779 742 37 4.70%
Cowlitz 49,368 47,087 2,281 4.60%
Jefferson 12,616 12,032 584 4.60%
Klickitat 9,993 9,534 459 4.60%
Skamania 5,628 5,376 252 4.50%
Lincoln 4,697 4,492 205 4.40%
Pierce 459,948 439,890 20,058 4.40%
Douglas 21,472 20,548 924 4.30%
Skagit 61,980 59,400 2,580 4.20%
Adams 9,542 9,154 388 4.10%
Benton 107,404 103,039 4,365 4.10%
Columbia 1,772 1,699 73 4.10%
Chelan 43,975 42,235 1,740 4.00%
Clark 251,973 242,009 9,964 4.00%
Island 36,854 35,403 1,451 3.90%
Whatcom 116,294 111,801 4,493 3.90%
Spokane 266,438 256,274 10,164 3.80%
Thurston 152,546 146,780 5,766 3.80%
Kitsap 130,413 125,571 4,842 3.70%
Whitman 23,881 23,011 870 3.60%
Walla Walla 30,809 29,727 1,082 3.50%
San Juan 8,361 8,086 275 3.30%
Asotin 10,627 10,311 316 3.00%
Snohomish 457,453 445,154 12,299 2.70%
King 1,345,370 1,310,170 35,200 2.60%