Washington state adds 30,900 jobs in November as Boeing strike ends

Washington state's economy rebounded in November with the addition of 30,900 jobs following the resolution of a major aerospace strike, while unemployment decreased slightly to 4.6%.

The significant job gains largely reflected the return of Boeing machinists after a strike that had caused substantial employment disruptions in October, according to the state Employment Security Department.

"Deep, temporary losses in October translated into large gains in November," said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department. "Employment levels continue to increase, but the relative gains have slowed in recent months."

The manufacturing sector led the recovery with 31,200 new jobs, primarily due to returning aerospace workers. October had seen aerospace employment drop by 30,700 during the strike period.

Despite the overall gains, some sectors experienced notable declines. Retail trade lost 1,800 jobs, construction decreased by 1,700 positions, and wholesale trade declined by 1,600 jobs.

Year-over-year data showed modest growth, with the state adding 27,300 jobs since November 2023, representing a 0.8% increase. The public sector showed stronger growth than private industry, with government employment increasing by 4% or 23,600 jobs over the past year.

The state's unemployment rate has remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 4.6% and 4.9% since January 2024. However, current unemployment levels remain higher than the 4.0% recorded in November 2023.

The number of unemployment benefit recipients increased to 62,676 in November, up 5,619 from the previous month, with notable increases in construction and agriculture claims.

In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the unemployed population decreased from 77,063 to 76,248, while the region's labor force grew by 11,280 workers. Statewide, the labor force contracted slightly to 3,990,151, showing a decrease of 5,523 people from October.

The national unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in November from 4.1% in October, compared to 3.7% in November 2023.