Seattle’s job market in October 2025 is facing significant challenges, with multiple waves of layoffs and slowing growth especially in the technology sector. Microsoft and Amazon, the city’s two largest employers, have each announced major rounds of layoffs this year, with Microsoft’s total layoffs reaching between 15,000 and 20,000. Both tech and finance have been hit hard, and as a result, Seattle’s unemployment rate is projected to climb from 4.5 percent at the end of 2025 to 4.9 percent by 2027 according to Washington’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Regional job openings have dropped substantially, with Seattle seeing a decline of 28.4 percent in marketed positions compared to the previous year, marking one of the steepest drops among major US cities, as reported by Marketing Dive and Aspen Tech Labs. Entry-level positions are particularly tough to land, with most listings lingering for longer periods and hiring timelines expanding.
Despite weak performance in tech, some traditional and emerging sectors remain resilient. Major industries in Seattle include e-commerce, cloud computing, retail, aerospace, healthcare, and maritime logistics. Amazon, while announcing its own cuts, continues to invest in skills training and is putting $2.5 billion into preparing its workforce for future roles. The Port of Seattle is also contributing $2.7 million to community-led job programs specifically targeting aviation, construction, maritime, and green jobs, with an emphasis on career-pathways for underrepresented groups. These initiatives, along with increasing government focus on workforce development, aim to address staffing shortages and open access to higher-wage jobs in overlooked communities. The construction sector, meanwhile, is experiencing some volatility, partly due to cost factors and supply chain uncertainties. Consulting, healthcare, and green jobs are among those showing signs of stability and moderate growth.
Seasonal trends show moderate spikes in logistics and retail hiring through the fall, but these gains are offset by broader contractions in office and tech roles. Commuting patterns indicate more employees are seeking hybrid or remote options, although these make up a relatively small percentage of available positions. Government job creation programs and minimum wage hikes are underway, but ongoing economic uncertainty from global events and shifting consumer prices continue to cast a shadow over market evolution, as highlighted by both the state’s forecast councils and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Notable data gaps include a lack of granular data on job quality and long-term sector growth beyond the largest employers.
Current job postings in Seattle as of late October 2025 include an engineering manager for AI/ML at DoorDash, a green jobs program coordinator at the Port of Seattle, and an entry-level logistics analyst at Amazon. In summary, Seattle’s employment landscape is in a period of transition: traditional tech dominance is waning, unemployment is on a gentle rise, and attention is shifting to diversified growth, community-led investment, and workforce retraining to prepare for a more inclusive and stable market future.
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