During the 12 months ending in May, Washington state employers lost 9,000 jobs—a 0.3% decrease, preliminary data from the Washington state Employment Security Department shows.

“Total nonfarm employment in May 2025 was down relative to May 2024,” says Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist at the Employment Security Department, in a press release. “Job growth has effectively stalled.”

The state added 400 jobs in May, however, ending a three-month streak of net job losses. Employment in the private sector increased by 3,100 jobs over the month, while the public sector dropped by 2,700 jobs.

The state’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in May, down slightly from 4.6% in the year-earlier month. The unemployment rate in April was 4.4%.