WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County is slightly bucking a state trend when it comes to employment.

Data released by the Washington State Employment Security Department shows that the county’s unemployment rate ticked up to 4.9% in January.

That’s up slightly from the seasonally adjusted rate of 4.7% from December 2024.

In comparison, the state average unemployment rate came in at 4.3% for January.

Professional and business services saw the highest rate of new hires between December and January, while construction and manufacturing jobs saw the largest workforce decline.