King County, WA jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meKing County economy
4.8%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.8% the month before
1,373,697
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
2,262,713
people in King County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$122,148
median household income
Source: Census ACS
58%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where King County ranks
Where King County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in the Pacific Northwest13 per 100 · of 11
- #1Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Pacific Northwest58% · of 43
- #1Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Pacific Northwest37% · of 30
- #3Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the West Coast58% · of 86
- #4Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Pacific Northwest59 / 100 · of 10
- #4Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in the West Coast13 per 100 · of 35
King 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 2.2% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 3.1% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.8%, unchanged from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+11,084 jobs), hotels & food (+8,764 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: information (−15,882 jobs), professional & technical (−10,716 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in King County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Weekly papers in south King County are consolidating. History shows layoff may come nextKUOW · Nov 5, 2026
- Amazon filing details 95 Washington layoffs through JanuaryMyNorthwest · Nov 3, 2026
- Axios live: How employers are rethinking AI's role in entry-level workAxios on MSN · Oct 30, 2026
- Blue Origin leases former Bartell Drugs warehouse south of Seattle for new manufacturing siteGeekWire on MSN · Oct 28, 2026
- Starbucks Layoffs: WARN Notice Reveals 135 Job Cuts Across Seattle and SEA AirportLatestLY · Oct 26, 2026
- Starbucks in SEA Airport’s Terminal A to close, affecting 13 employeesKIRO 7 News Seattle on MSN · Oct 24, 2026
- Seattle’s Carbon Robotics cuts jobs across departments, citing economic conditionsKIRO 7 News Seattle on MSN · Oct 21, 2026
- Cleveland’s big lesson for Seattle: A city’s job is to attract peopleGeekWire on MSN · Oct 20, 2026
Learn and get funded in King County
- 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.
King County layoffs
46
Layoff notices, last 12 months
6,348
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
39
employers
Employers hiring most in King County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Amazon3,108 open roles
- SpaceX335 open roles
- Microsoft193 open roles
- Shield AI140 open roles
- Swiftkey111 open roles
- TerraPower58 open roles
- McKinstry56 open roles
- Oracle50 open roles
- Anduril Industries49 open roles
- Paccar49 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in King County
- Starbucksabout 383,000 employees (2021)
- Microsoftabout 228,000 employees (2024)
- World Vision Internationalabout 33,000 employees (2023)
- Paccar20,001–100,000 employees
- F55,001–20,000 employees
- Swedish Health Services5,001–20,000 employees
- Zillow5,001–20,000 employees
- Seattle University1,001–5,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in King County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Seattle | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Green River College | Auburn | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus | Bothell | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland | Public 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Northwest University | Kirkland | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education | Kirkland | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Seattle Pacific University | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Antioch University-Seattle | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Bastyr University | Kenmore | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Cornish College of the Arts | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology | Seattle | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in King County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in King County. 29 with dates announced.
- PASS Data Community Summit (PASS Summit West)
Nov 9 to Nov 11, 2026 · Seattle, WA
Paid ticket. Prices on Tickets page, not read.
- AMP Annual Meeting & Expo
Nov 10 to Nov 14, 2026 · Seattle, WA
Ticket $415 to $935. In-person: regular member $545 advance, $685 standard, $745 on-site (from Oct 21); regular nonmember…
- ABRCMS (Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists)
Nov 18 to Nov 21, 2026 · Seattle, WA
Ticket $595 to $700. Undergrad/postbac $595; graduate/postdoc $625; non-students $700; virtual $100 student / $125 non-student;…
Open call for speakers
- Pacific Marine Expo
Nov 19 to Nov 21, 2026 · Seattle, WA
Free. Trade press reports advance registration free and $55 on site; the official page only links to registration.
- AAC&U Annual Meeting
Jan 20 to Jan 22, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Ticket $760 to $1,100. Member $760 early / $810 regular; nonmember $1,050 / $1,100; ends Nov 13 for early bird.
Open call for speakers
- Acumatica Summit
Jan 24 to Jan 27, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Ticket $1,695 to $1,995. Summit pass $1,695; $1,995 after December 4 (page labels are ambiguous, confirm at registration).
- NALP Newer Professionals' Forum
Feb 3 to Feb 5, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Paid ticket. Registration typically opens in October; prices not read; members get discounted pricing.
- LMA Annual Conference
Mar 22 to Mar 24, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Ticket $1,785 to $2,925. Full conference: LMA member $1,785 super early bird (first 100), $1,985 early (to Feb 8), $2,185…
Open call for speakers
- SHRM Washington State Annual Conference
Mar 25, 2027 · Bellevue, WA
Ticket $499 to $649. Early bird to 1/31/2027: $499 member, $599 non-member; after: $549 / $649.
- PAA Annual Meeting
Mar 31 to Apr 3, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Paid ticket. Registration fees not stated on the page; member discounts may apply.
- SREcon Americas
Apr 12 to Apr 14, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Paid ticket, price not listed
- IREM PropertyCon
Apr 13 to Apr 15, 2027 · Seattle, WA
Paid ticket. Registration opens Fall 2026.
Showing 12 of 36 conferences, 29 with dates announced.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving King County. 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).
WorkSource Auburn
Auburn · Comprehensive · 253-804-1177
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm, Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
WorkSource Bellevue College- WorkSource Connection Site
Bellevue · Affiliate · 425-564-4054
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
WorkSource Connection Site Downtown Seattle
Seattle · Affiliate
Monday - Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
WorkSource North Seattle
Seattle · Comprehensive
Mon-Thurs 8:00am - 5:00pm, Fri 9-5pm, Closed State Holidays
WorkSource Rainier
Seattle · Affiliate · 206-721-6018
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:00am - 5:00pm; Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm (As of 10/1/2022)
Cities in King County
Other Washington counties
Laid off or looking for work in King County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Washington’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Washington unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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