The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County's mission requires an understanding of current metrics and trends that shape King County's economy and workforce. This interactive State of the Workforce Report reflects the WDC's on-going commitment to innovation in understanding local workforce needs. The report profiles eight facets of community and economic data, designed to ground workforce leaders and job seekers with a common understanding of local needs and opportunities.
Choose a Profile to explore:
Overview
Labor Force
Jobs &
Industries
Youth
Social Economic & Income
Education
Demographics & Migration
Commute
2016 Q2
King County
Jobs

Washington
Jobs

King County
New Hires

Avg. Annual
Salary
King County Location Quotients
WA Benchmark
US Benchmark
Employed By Age
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI)
2016
King County
Workforce

Washington
Workforce

King County Location Quotients
WA Benchmark
US Benchmark
Workforce By Age
Source: WA State Employment Security Department (ESD) Occupation Matrix, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5 Yr Dataset (2011-2015)
KING COUNTY
OVERVIEW
Population (2016)
0
King County
0
WA State
0
National
Labor Force (2016)
Unemployment
30
Avg. days open
for vacancies
GDP (2017)
$18.9t
GDP of USA (2017)
$482b (4th)
Washington GDP (2017 - 4th in US)
Jobs & Industry (2016 Q3)

Total Jobs
Commute (2015)
28.1 mins
Avg Commute Time
Educational
Attainment (2015)
12 Universities
32 Colleges & Trade
136 High Schools
Race & Ethnicity (2015)
Foreign Born (2015)
21%
Foreign Born Population
Age (2015)
Household Income (2015)
Poverty &
Social Assistance (2015)
Poverty
Rate
SNAP
Below 200%
of the Poverty Level

People Below
Poverty Level
Labor Force Participation (2016)
Employed
Unemployed
Top Occupations (2016)
Education of Unemployed (2015)
Unemployed
Top Occupations
by Openings (2016)
Top WA Openings (2016)
Age of Employed (2016 Q2)
GDP (2017)
$18.9t
GDP of USA (2017)
$482B (4th)
Washington GDP (2017 - 4th in US)
Insurance Coverage (2015)
64%
Employer		 36%
Individual
By the Numbers (2015)
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
0
Population
$0
Per Capita Income
Jobs by County (2016)
Wages by Industry (2016)
Highest
Location Quotients (2017)
Location Quotient is a ratio between the distribution of employment by industry in a target area compared to a the distribution in a reference area (typically the U.S.). Location Quotients above 1.0 indicate a higher concentration of jobs in King County compared to the U.S., while quotients below 1.0 indicate a lower concentration of jobs in King County.
Change & Forecasts
Lowest
Location Quotients (2017)
Largest Employers (2015)
Age of Employed (2016 Q2)
Youth Population (2015)
276,010
K-12 School Pop.
154,469
College & University Pop.
Youth Unemployment (2015)
King Co.
WA State
National
Language Spoken
at Home (2015)
Disconnected Youth (2015)
-
Individuals
Youth English
Language Learner (ELL)
(2014-2015)
33,129
Individuals
Low Income Children (2015)
25,344
Families
Students of Color (2015-2016)
153,372
Individuals
MSP/HSPE
Test Results (2016-2017)
SAT Score Average (2016)
1488
WA
1484
National
Average Costs at a
Public 4yr University (2016-17)

$9,265
Per Year (In-State WA Tuition)
$1,298
Supplies Per Year
Poverty Rate (2015)
King Co.
WA
National

People Below Poverty Level
in King County
Population
King Co. Pop. Increased
from 2000 to 2016
Income By Race
& Ethnicity (2015)
Median
Household Income (2015)
$75,302
King County

$61,062
Washington State

$53,889
United States
Per Capita Income (2015)
$41,664
King County

$31,762
Washington State

$28,930
United States
Average Minimum Wage (2017)
$11
King Co.		 $7.25
USA
SNAP (Food Stamps) (2015)
-
Households
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (2015)
-
Households
Public Assistance (2015)
-
Households
Women, Infant, Child
(WIC) (2016)
60,693
Individuals
Educational Attainment (2015)
Schools & Universities (2016-2017)
581 Grade Schools
136 High Schools
35 Colleges & Trade
13 Universities
Student vs. Retired
Population (2015)

Persons
<18 yrs old
Persons
65+ yrs old
H.S. Graduation Rate (2015, 2016)
King Co.
WA State
National
K-12 Student Pop. (2015-2016)
286,149 Students
16,446 Teachers
17:1
Student/Teacher
Ratio
Top Majors (2015-2016)
H.S. Graduation
Rate by Race (2015-2016)
School Lunch Program (2015-2016)
34%
of students are on free or
reduced price meal programs
Top College Student
Population (2015-2016)
Total Enrollment
45,408 UW (Seattle)
32,500 Bellevue College
18,960 Seattle College District
6,574  Seattle Central College
6,310  North Seattle College
6,076  South Seattle College
16,898 Highline Comm. College
10,000 Shoreline Comm. College
8,153 Green River Comm. College
7,405 Seattle University
4,204 Seattle Pacific University
Unemployment by
Education (2015)
Population (2016)
-
King County
-
5-yr Change
-
5-yr National Change
Age (2015)
Race & Ethnicity (2015)
Foreign Born
Population (2015)
King Co.
WA
National
Countries of
Immigration (2015)
County Population (2015)
Avg. Commute Time (2015)
28 mins
King County
26 mins
Washington
26 mins
US
Means of Transportation (2015)
Population (2016)
2,105,100
Sound Transit Light Rail (2016)
163,053
Daily Ridership (Weekday)
43m
Annual Ridership
Fares Compared (2017)
$2.50 - $2.75
Per Ride
$14.60 - $18.20
Vehicle
$2.25 - $3.25
Per Ride
$8.00
Passenger
$3.25 - $5.75
Sounder Fares Vary by Distance
King County Metro (2016)
416,759
Daily Ridership (Weekday)
122m
Annual Ridership
WA Ferry System (2016)
80,900
Daily Ridership (Weekday)
24m
Annual Ridership (Passengers & Vehicles)
Sounder Commuter Rail (2016)
17,125
Daily Ridership (Weekday)
4.2m
Annual Ridership
By the Numbers (2016)
1st Largest passenger & automobile ferry fleet in the US
4th Largest ferry system in the world by fleet size (WA System)
8th Largest transit agency in the US
9th Busiest airport in the US is SEA-TAC
984,000
Cruise Passengers
Workforce Development Council
of Seattle-King County
206.448.0474
206.448.0484 FAX
Workforce Development Council
of Seattle-King County
2003 Western Ave., Suite 250
Seattle, WA 98121
Site & Design Credits
Community Attributes Inc
info@communityattributes.com
206.523.6683
Seattle, WA
If you have any questions about the data or site, please reach out to us.