Kelso, WA jobs, layoffs and employers
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Show me jobs near meJobs in Kelso
- Veterinary Hospital Manager - Kelso, WAVetCor
- Merchandising SpecialistO'Reilly Auto Parts
- Full-Time Security Account Manager- $32.26/hrSunstates Security
Employers hiring most in Kelso
- O'Reilly Auto Parts1 open role
- Sunstates Security1 open role
- VetCor1 open role
Kelso layoffs
No layoff notices naming Kelso in the last 12 months are on file. The WARN Act covers employers with 100 or more workers, so smaller layoffs are not in it.
Cowlitz County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs down 1.0% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 3.5% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.0%, down 0.6 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+398 jobs), manufacturing (+321 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: retail (−349 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Kelso. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Workers Fearing AI Replacement Show Worse Workplace BehaviorMirage News · Oct 14, 2026
- Workers who fear AI replacement show worse workplace behaviorWashington State University News · Oct 13, 2026
- Starbucks To Lay Off 51 Employees and Close 5 Stores Across WashingtonLatestLY · Oct 10, 2026
Learn and get funded in Kelso
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Kelso. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Washington? How to file for unemployment in Washington (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Workforce Southwest Washington
Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum
WorkSource Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties
Kelso · Affiliate · 360-577-2250
Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Cowlitz County economy
4.0%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.6% the month before
46,732
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
111,539
people in Cowlitz County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$72,932
median household income
Source: Census ACS
30%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
More cities in Cowlitz County
Laid off or looking for work in Kelso?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Layoff notices from Washington’s published record; job counts from our live job board, taken from employers’ own career sites; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers; Census Bureau and BLS for county figures. Washington unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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