The Distressed Areas List identifies all counties with a three-year average unemployment rate equal to or greater than 120 percent of the statewide unemployment rate. For the period from January 2007 to December 2009, Washington had a three year average of 6.3 percent unemployment, up from 4.9 in 2009. Thirteen counties remain on the distressed list for 2010, down from nineteen in 2009. Adams, Clallam, Franklin, Grant, Okanogan, and Yakima dropped from the distressed counties list.

Map of Distressed Counties - 2010

(January 2007 - December 2009)

Source data: Washington State Employment Security Department

Most distressed counties are considered rural (see below).

Rural Counties 2009

A rural county has a population density of less than 100 persons per square mile as defined in RCW 43 160 020 section 12 (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/). More recent legislation has expanded the definition to include counties smaller than two hundred twenty-five square miles. This addition considers Island County as rural despite a population density of more than 385 people per square mile.

Source data: Washington State Office of Financial Management

The chart below shows the average unemployment from January 2007 to December 2009.

Source data: Washington State Employment Security Department