OLYMPIA, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
As the federal government enters its 16th day of a shutdown, the number of Washington’s federal workers applying for unemployment benefits has grown substantially.
As of Wednesday, 1,184 federal employees in Washington have applied for unemployment benefits, resulting in approximately 79 applications per day, the Employment Security Department (ESD) announced.
ESD noted unemployment claims stemming from the federal shutdown are adding to the department’s already rising caseload.
WA’s increasing unemployment claims
In 2025, the number of ongoing weekly unemployment claims was at 2,784,359 as of Oct. 1. This year’s claims have already surpassed 2019’s total of more than 2.6 million, and are on pace to break 2024’s total of more than 3.2 million unemployment claims.
A recent time frame revealed that for the week ending on Oct. 3, there were 5,884 people who applied for unemployment benefits, which was an increase of 1,094 compared to the previous week. The following week, the number of applicants rose to 6,287.
“Since early spring, we’ve seen a 20% increase in our ongoing unemployment claims after seasonal workers returned to work. That’s not typical. That tells us people are having a harder time finding jobs,” ESD Commissioner Cami Feek said. “We’re looking at all options to serve our customers as quickly as possible.”
ESD claimed October is its busiest time of the year for unemployment claims, as seasonal workers who are temporarily laid off over the fall and winter months begin to apply for benefits.
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