As the federal government shutdown continues, more federal workers are applying for unemployment benefits with the Employment Security Department. Through Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1,184 federal workers (about 79 per day) in Washington state applied for benefits.

Unemployment claims for federal employees are a small percentage of all unemployment claims, but they are more complex and take longer to process.

Federal workers impacted by the shutdown, whether furloughed or laid off, are encouraged to gather as much information about their wages (e.g., pay stubs or quarterly income reports) before applying for unemployment to help with quicker processing of their claims.

“Our No. 1 goal is to get people paid as quickly as possible,” Employment Security Commissioner Cami Feek said. “We understand the stress involved in being furloughed or laid off.”

Read about unemployment eligibility for federal workers on the Employment Security Department website.

Support for federal workers

Many supports and services are available for federal employees impacted by the government shutdown:

Growing unemployment claims workload

The federal government shutdown is adding to an already increasing unemployment case workload for Employment Security.

As of Oct. 1, the number of ongoing weekly unemployment claims in 2025 was at 2,784,359. That number has already surpassed 2019’s total of 2,638,984 and is on pace to pass 2024’s total of 3,270,098. Individuals can claim up to 26 weeks of benefits in a year.

For the week ending Oct. 3, 5,884 people applied for unemployment benefits, an increase of 1,094 from the previous week. For the week ending Oct. 10, the number jumped to 6,287.

This year, the state has experienced mass layoffs in many industries. As of Oct. 10, Employment Security had received notices for layoffs occurring in 2025 that total 15,063 non-seasonal workers. Employers submit worker adjustment and retraining notifications, or WARNs, when laying off employees.

October also begins the busiest time of year for unemployment claims. Seasonal workers (e.g., construction, agriculture) who are temporarily laid off during fall and winter months are now beginning to apply for benefits.

“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,” Feek said. “We’re looking at all options to serve our customers as quickly as possible.”

Largest federal employers in Washington state and where employees work

Washington state had 79,532 federal employees as of the first quarter of 2025. Find state and county data on federal workers by downloading the 2025 Q1 preliminary data file on the covered employment page on the Employment Security website.

The top 10 largest federal employers in our state include:

  1. U.S. Department of Defense (civilian), 32,579.
  2. U.S. Postal Service, 11,669.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 10,130.
  4. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 4,879.
  5. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2,282.
  6. Bonneville Power Administration, 1,914.
  7. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1,527
  8. Social Security Administration, 1,117.
  9. U.S. Department of Treasury, 1,048.
  10. Common Support Service Office (U.S. Department of the Navy), 895.

The top 10 counties where federal workers are employed:

  1. Kitsap, 21,400.
  2. King, 18,885.
  3. Pierce, 11,442.
  4. Spokane, 5,079.
  5. Clark, 3,955.
  6. Snohomish, 2,639.
  7. Walla Walla, 1,877.
  8. Whatcom, 1,572.
  9. Island, 1,360.
  10. Yakima, 1,272.

Employment Security will provide regular updates for the duration of the federal government shutdown on their website, our social media channels and through news releases.

Learn more about the full range of resources and programs available through Employment Security at esd.wa.gov.