Lewis and Thurston county unemployment rates fall in March

May 6-The Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) this week released the unemployment rates for March 2026, showing that unemployment decreased in both Lewis and Thurston counties from February.

Specifically, Lewis County's unemployment rate went from 6.5% in February to 6.3% in March, while Thurston County saw its unemployment rate rise from 5.0% to 4.7%.

In Skamania County, the unemployment rate fell from 5.6% to 5.5%, and other counties saw rate changes, including: a decrease in Pierce County from 6.1% to 5.3%; a decrease in Grays Harbor County from 6.5% to 6.3%; Pacific County remained the same at 7.3%; Wahkiakum County stayed at 7.6%; in Clark County, the rate decreased from 5.3% to 5.1%; and Cowlitz County fell from 6% in February to 5.9% in March.

Across Washington state, the unemployment rate has remained the same from 5.1% in February to 5.1% in March.

Nationally, the unemployment rate has fluctuated from 4.3% in January, then back to 4.4% in February and back down to 4.3% in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For more information, view the ESD's monthly employment reports on its website at https://tinyurl.com/2sj6tnzz.

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