January 25, 2022
Summary
Washington added 14,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage point to 4.5 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Washington added 200,400 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 1.8 percentage points from 6.3 percent.
In December, Washington’s private sector added 10,300 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 180,400 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 8,802 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 185,103.
Washington’s labor force participation rate rose to 63.8 percent in December from 63.6 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate rose by 1.3 percentage points.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Washington Payroll Employment
Washington added 14,000 net payroll jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Washington added 17,800 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Washington added 200,400 payroll jobs, or 6.1 percent. Washington nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 11 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Washington is tied for 6th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Washington’s private-sector added 10,300 jobs, or approximately 0.4 percent. The private-sector in Washington added 15,200 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Washington added 180,400, or 6.6 percent. Washington private-sector payroll employment has increased in each of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Washington ranks 7th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (6,600) and Government (3,700). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Manufacturing (-1,000) and Leisure and Hospitality (-2,200).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Leisure and Hospitality (81,600) and Education and Health Services (27,800). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Other Services (4,700) and Mining and Logging (0).
Washington Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Washington rose to 63.8 percent in December from 63.6 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 63.8 percent, Washington ranks 16th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Washington rose by 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Washington was 65.5 percent in April 2020. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Washington last occurred in December 1998 when the labor force participation rate hit 69.9 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 62.5 percent , last occurring in February 2021. The series low for the labor force participation rate in Washington last occurred in April 1976 when the labor force participation rate hit 60.6 percent.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Washington civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 60.9 from 60.6 percent in the prior month. At 60.9 percent, Washington ranks 17th among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Washington rose by 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Washington was 62.7 percent last occurring in December 2019. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Washington last occurred in February 1999 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 66.4 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 54.8 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Washington.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.