Jobs

Unemployment Rate Down To 7 Percent In Washington State

Tom Banse — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:57:42 +0000

The unemployment rate in Washington state is down to a flat 7 percent. That news from the state employment department Wednesday. The agency recorded a drop in the jobless rate of 0.1 percent in April.

State labor economist Scott Bailey says that puts Washington's rate at the lowest it's been since the end of 2008.

Why Won't This McDonalds Move 20 Feet Into Lower-Wage Idaho?

Jessica Robinson — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:10:24 +0000

The border between the states of Washington and Idaho is like a petri dish for what the minimum wage does to the economy. That’s where two extremes meet. Idaho has the federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour. While Washington’s? It’s nearly $2 more -- the highest in the nation.

You might expect that wage gap to send Washington border businesses fleeing over to Idaho. But that's not what's happening.

Idahoans like Ron Mendive pride themselves on having a business-friendly state.

Washington Jobs Return To Expected Numbers In February

Alexandra Kocik — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:02:54 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington state saw a surge of new jobs in January, but job growth was sluggish in February.

Oregon Is Adding Jobs

Angela Kellner — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:25:59 +0000

Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February remains unchanged at 8.4 percent. A number of sectors are seeing growth.

Washington Records Unusually Strong Job Gains In January

Tom Banse — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:01:16 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The state of Washington recorded unusually strong job gains in January. That's according to new numbers released Wednesday by the state Employment Department. A regular survey of businesses found more than 24,000 new jobs created.

The state's chief labor economist, Joe Elling, says there's evidence of gathering "momentum" in the economy.

Washington Governor Unveils Job Creation Plan

Alexandra Kocik — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 01:26:52 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled a series of proposals Wednesday in Olympia he’s hoping will create more jobs. The Democratic governor’s plan focuses on training for tech-savvy workers and funding transportation projects. He also says expanding Medicaid next year will lead to more than 10,000 new jobs within two years.

“Expansion of Medicaid is a system that will not only reach over 250,000 Washingtonians with health care, but will help job creation all across the state.”

This was the first of multiple policy proposals Inslee is planning over the next few weeks.

Landing One Job No Longer Sufficient For Many In Idaho

Jessica Robinson — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:19:18 +0000

Personal incomes took a hit in the economic downturn across the nation. But according to the latest figures, no state has lower median earnings than Idaho. Jessica Robinson reports.

Wash. Sees Healthy Drop In Unemployment

Tom Banse — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:29:02 +0000

Washington state saw a nice drop in unemployment during October. New numbers released Thursday show the state jobless rate fell to 8.2 percent. That's down three-tenths of a point from the prior month.

Washington’s Strong Apple Crop In Danger Of Going Unpicked

Anna King — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:55:21 +0000

Washington state apple farmers are gearing up to harvest the second-largest crop in history, but it appears there won't be enough workers to get the fruit off the trees quickly enough. The shortage comes as apple prices are high because of crop damage elsewhere in the country. Correspondent Anna King has our report from an apple orchard outside of Prescott, Washington.

American Coal Companies Look To The Northwest For Export Opportunities Part Two

Ashley Ahearn — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:36:16 +0000

American coal companies are looking to the Northwest as the fastest way to bring their product from the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana to Asian markets. There are now 5 ports in Washington and Oregon considering coal export terminals. In part two of our series on Coal in the Northwest we head to the site of what could one day be the largest coal export facility on the west coast, Bellingham, Washington.