According to the latest data, it looks like the state economy is slowly catching up to the unwinding national economy. More than 3,000 jobs were lost in Washington last month, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.9 percent, up from a near record low of 4.5 percent in February, the Employment Security Department said Tuesday. The…
Category: Economy
Economic news, statistics, and commentary
Seattle Clearly At Risk in Credit Retraction
Speaking of the economy, here’s a headline I never expected to see in The Seattle Times, let alone above the fold on the front page of the Sunday paper: I guess this is a surprising discovery for some people—something that is considered big news. Here are some choice excerpts from the article: “If things get…
Washington Job Market Still Growing Slowly
Here’s the latest on the state economy. Everything’s coming up roses, it would seem. Washington continued to defy the multiple drags on the U.S. economy in February, as state payrolls added 3,500 jobs and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.5 percent. “We’re really different from the national economy at this point,” said Evelina Tainer,…
Strong Local Economy Faltering, County Facing Large Deficit
If you think our “strong local economy” is going to protect the Seattle area from feeling a pinch in the housing market and elsewhere as recession looms on the horizon, think again. The pinch is here. With a cooling economy pinching tax revenue even as government costs rise, King County faces a $45 million budget…
Boeing & Microsoft Holding Up the Market?
Here’s a thread to discuss some of the not-so-great big news that has come out recently for the Seattle-area’s two biggest private employers. Boeing: Loses out on $40 billion Air Force tanker contract Microsoft: Facing class-action lawsuit for Vista hardware requirements Cutting boxed Vista prices (possibly due to disappointing sales?) Still trying to buy Yahoo!…