Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA MSA — October 2026
Skagit's falling jobless rate hides a shrinking labor force.
Skagit County unemployment dropped to 3.7% in September, but the decline tracks a loss of 738 workers from the labor force rather than a hiring surge, while statewide unemployment held at 4.8%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Skagit County unemployment rate: 3.7% — Down from 3.8% in July; third straight monthly decline
- Labor force change, Skagit County: -738 workers — Driving the rate decline more than job creation
- Washington statewide unemployment: 4.8% — vs 4.1% national rate; WA tracking above US
- PeaceHealth regional layoff: 150 workers — Across Skagit, Clark, Whatcom counties, effective Nov. 20
Key takeaways
A falling jobless rate is not the full story this month.
Skagit County's drop to 3.7% unemployment in September reflects 738 fewer people in the labor force, a sign the decline tracks workforce contraction rather than stronger hiring demand. Commerce leaders citing the headline rate as evidence of economic strength should pair it with participation data to avoid an incomplete read.
Healthcare layoffs arrive in a sector presumed resilient.
PeaceHealth's 150-position reduction across three Northwest Washington counties, effective November 20, cuts against the statewide narrative of healthcare as the most reliable job-growth sector. One regional employer's adjustment does not signal sector-wide weakness, but it is a data point worth tracking alongside next month's county figures.
Skilled trades pay is outrunning the regional wage baseline.
HVAC Technician advertised pay reached $109,200 locally, a significant increase and well above the $71,406 national median — a gap that points to sustained local demand for trade-certified labor tied to construction and facilities activity. Economic development groups tracking workforce pipeline investment may find this among the more durable signals this month.
Retail and food-service pay softness bears watching against consumer spending.
Food Service Worker pay fell significantly to $41,600 locally while Construction Laborer pay also dropped significantly to $43,680, even as national figures for both held flat or rose. Softening pay in consumer-facing and entry-level construction roles may reflect reduced local demand and is worth monitoring as an early signal of household spending capacity.
Median advertised pay by role — Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $36,088 | $39,713 | $43,992 | Moderate increase | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $35,504 | $37,438 | $39,520 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $38,312 | $43,680 | $46,197 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $56,213 | $70,720 | $78,000 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $34,789 | $45,760 | $52,000 | Significant increase | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $41,600 | $43,680 | $44,840 | Significant decline | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $67,230 | $82,820 | $86,320 | Stable | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $38,605 | $41,600 | $44,720 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $39,655 | $43,680 | $47,500 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $32,697 | $41,600 | $41,600 | Significant decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $48,100 | $53,664 | $53,716 | Stable | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $42,640 | $50,960 | $56,659 | Stable | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $109,200 | $109,200 | $109,200 | Significant increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $96,468 | $114,890 | $122,720 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer * | $129,166 | $169,445 | $187,139 | Moderate increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $99,196 | $141,962 | $157,798 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $64,710 | $82,149 | $87,606 | Significant increase | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $98,240 | $108,724 | $110,000 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $66,787 | $80,000 | $97,500 | Significant decline | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $47,000 | $84,000 | $84,000 | Significant increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $83,648 | $101,095 | $112,134 | Significant decline | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $40,000 | $47,994 | $61,890 | Significant decline | $55,908 |
| Account Manager * | $66,400 | $102,000 | $126,292 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $62,400 | $76,250 | $80,000 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $84,378 | $101,512 | $112,400 | Stable | $98,302 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $69,845 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $82,500 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $41,600 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $43,680 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $52,520 | Moderate increase | Moderate decline |
| Financial Activities | $57,876 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $95,556 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $75,920 | Significant increase | Moderate increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $38,303 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $78,394 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Skagit County's unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in September, a full percentage point drop, but the improvement coincides with a shrinking labor force — 738 fewer residents counted as working or looking for work — indicating the decline reflects fewer job-seekers rather than a surge in local hiring activity. Healthcare employment faces an offsetting pressure point: PeaceHealth's 150-worker layoff across Skagit, Clark, and Whatcom counties, effective November 20, lands in a sector that has otherwise anchored regional job growth statewide.
What it means
Falling unemployment driven by labor-force contraction complicates how commerce leaders should read local economic strength — a tightening headline rate can mask fewer residents actively available for work, which matters for any assessment of whether the metro can support business expansion. Advertised pay gains concentrated in skilled trades and professional roles (HVAC Technician up significantly to $109,200, Financial Analyst up significantly to $108,724) point to where local wage pressure is building even as broader participation softens. Local economic development and chamber leaders may want to track labor force participation alongside the unemployment rate before characterizing the county's economic trajectory in public materials or investment pitches.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Skagit County's labor force continues contracting in October data or stabilizes — a second consecutive month of workforce decline would reinforce that falling unemployment reflects fewer job-seekers and does not indicate economic strength.
Emerging pressure point: PeaceHealth's November 20 layoff effective date will test whether displaced healthcare workers are absorbed locally or exit the county labor force, a signal relevant to any assessment of regional healthcare capacity.
Worth watching: Washington's minimum wage rises to $17.73 per hour on January 1, a 3.5% increase; commerce leaders in retail and food service-heavy segments of the local economy should anticipate this as a fixed cost input for the coming budget cycle.
Potential inflection point: Statewide public-sector job losses (10,400 in September) have not yet shown a clear parallel in Skagit County data; local government and civic leaders should monitor whether state-level public-sector contraction reaches county and municipal payrolls.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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