With the recent rise in federal government layoffs, the Washington state Employment Security Department is experiencing an increase in unemployment claims.

So far this year, 650 federal employees have filed unemployment claims, up 36% compared to 479 claims during the same time period last year.

Of those, 362 federal employees have filed in a 30-day period ending Feb. 18.

Between Feb. 13 and Feb. 18, 156 were filed. Over 60 claims were made on Feb. 18 alone. The average rate of new unemployment claims from federal employees in 2025 is 14 per day.

While the number of jobless claims have increased, they represent less than 1% of the 76,000-person federal workforce based in Washington state so far.

According to the latest quarterly Employment Security Department data, Kitsap and King counties have the most, with about 21,000 and 19,000, respectively. Spokane County has about 5,100 federal employees, the data shows.

“We are ready to assist federal employees in these trying and uncertain times,” Employment Security Department Commissioner Cami Feek says in a press release. “Whether they are applying for unemployment benefits or need assistance in finding a new job, we’re here to help.”

In addition to workers based in the state, recently laid-off federal employees may be eligible for unemployment benefits through ESD if they're current Washington state residents stationed outside the U.S. or if they worked in the state after their last federal employer.