The Washington unemployment rate for August showed some improvement on a monthly basis, moving to 8.5%, compared to 10.2% the previous month. The Seattle/Bellevue/Everett unemployment rate fell from 8.2% in July to 7.4% in August. Twelve months ago the unemployment rate in Snohomish County was 3.0%, and 2.7% in King County. The August 2020 Monthly Employment Report marks the sixth month since the impacts of COVID-19 started showing up in the local labor market.

Our association strives to ensure all people can attain housing. To achieve that goal and right these wrongs, we must face our industry's troubling past. Delve deeper into our region's racist housing history, with links to resources, original documents, and more.

Each election cycle, our Affordable Housing Council (AHC) interviews candidates at the city, county, and state levels to determine their degree of support for our industry. The following candidates have received an AHC endorsement for the 2020 election cycle.

The supply of housing inventory for sale in July remained very low in the Seattle market, with 1.13 months’ supply in King County and just 0.73 months’ supply in Snohomish County, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Meanwhile, single-family permits in the Seattle metro area (including King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties) were down 7% and multifamily permits down by 11% in June, compared to the same period last year.

Toolkit offers proven policies to help create more housing choices so current residents, newcomers, and future generations can find a home that best fits their lives