WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County’s jobless rate saw a modest rise towards the end of last year.

That’s according to the state Employment Security Department, which reports that the county’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate sat at 4.6% in November 2025.

It ticked up from 3.9% in September, but remained similar to where things were at the previous year.

On the bright side, Whatcom County’s jobless rate was slightly below the state’s, which rose to 5%.

The private sector lost over 6,000 jobs statewide, but saw some gains in the education and health, and leisure and hospitality industries.

Skagit County’s economy also trended down in November, with its unemployment rate rising nearly a full percentage point from September.

The department still has not released county-level unemployment data from October 2025 due to the federal government shutdown.