WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County’s jobless rate saw a moderate, yet expected, rise going into 2026.

That’s according to the state Employment Security Department, which reports that the county’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate sat at 5.2% in December 2025.

It was up from 4.6% in November and higher than the rate from the previous year.

Still, the increase was in line with seasonal trends, as unemployment rates typically rise from November to December.

Whatcom’s seasonally adjusted rate won’t be released until next month.

The county’s jobless rate remained slightly below the state’s, which rose to 5.3%.

The private sector added roughly 7,700 jobs statewide, with big gains in food services, bars and software publishing.