Reports & Articles

Originally published in the South Seattle Emerald As tax revenues fall with people out of work and whole industries shuttered, Washington’s state and local governments are laying off staff, reducing pay, and slashing services that are helping people weather the COVID storm. Cutting important services now will cause immediate suffering, prolong the recession, and deepen […]

For a PDF, click here. Washington’s communities are hurting from the combined effects of the coronavirus pandemic, social isolation, and loss of income. To prevent extreme hardship, promote health, and provide opportunity to Washington’s diverse communities, the state must increase investments in public health, education, housing, and income support for the most vulnerable. Washington State […]

The economic expansion that followed the Great Recession was the longest in post-war history. But many people, especially those with low-to-moderate incomes, were already on an economic knife edge before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The jobs numbers certainly looked rosy: from 2008 to 2019, Washington added nearly 479,000 nonfarm jobs. Over the same time frame, […]

Wages Since 1979, wages for the bottom 60 percent of Washington workers have increased $1/hour — or less! — after adjusting for inflation; meanwhile, the top 10 percent have seen hourly wages jump nearly $18/hour.[1] It’s not for lack of economic growth: between 1979 and 2016 (date of latest available data), Washington’s economic productivity increased […]

The current economic expansion, now the longest in post-war history, certainly looks rosy on the surface: since 2008, Washington has added nearly 479,000 nonfarm jobs, and average hourly wages have climbed 22.6 percent after adjusting for inflation.[1] But while more people have jobs compared to a decade ago, wage gains have largely accrued to a […]

Higher costs for rent or home ownership, health care, child care and higher education have far outpaced the (very) modest increases in a typical family’s income over the past decade. Housing Housing has become far less affordable in Washington, as median rental costs and home prices continue to exceed increases in median family income. After […]

Social Security improves the economic security of more than 1.3 million Washington residents and their families, and contributes significantly to economic stability and growth across the state. While it is currently on sound fiscal footing, federal lawmakers should act now to remove Social Security’s cap on taxable earnings, raise benefits and make other improvements to […]

For a PDF, click here. Introduction In January 2020, Washington will become the fifth state in the U.S. to provide a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program (PFML). Workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks, and in some cases up to 18 weeks, of paid leave in a year to care […]

Declining unionization, and race- and gender-based discrimination are increasing economic disparities in the state. Declining Unionization While no single factor is entirely responsible for the growth in inequality, declining unionization has been a contributing influence.[8] Following the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, the spread of collective bargaining led to decades of […]

The Great Recession took a massive toll on the state’s job market. Today, more than a decade after the onset of the Great Recession, statewide unemployment in Washington is finally below pre-recession levels. But the state unemployment rate is just one way of looking at employment. Let’s dig in to explore a little deeper. In […]

Over the past three decades, Washington’s workforce has become increasingly older, more diverse, and more likely to have a four-year college degree. Age The share of younger people (age 16-24) in the workforce is less than half what it was in 1979, while the share of older workers (age 55+) has nearly doubled. Two big […]

Washington faces a crisis of low-income elderly residents in the coming decades, with many residents at risk of living out their years with a diminished quality of life and more reliant on the public safety net. It doesn’t have to be this way: states have long pioneered innovative retirement security policies for their residents. Washington […]

For a printable fact sheet, click here. As the Legislature confronts the need to fully fund public services, our elected public officials should be looking at the “Swiss cheese” nature of Washington’s tax code and focusing on past tax exemptions. One such giveaway excuses precious metal dealers from paying sales or B&O taxes.[1] This includes […]

For a PDF, click here. Washington’s estate tax is one of the few progressive revenue sources in our regressive state tax system. Less than 1 percent of residents who pass away are wealthy enough for their estates to be taxed. We can capitalize on recent reductions in the federal estate tax and raise $300 million […]

For a PDF of this document, click here. Social Security benefits are crucial to the economic security of more than 1.3 million Washington residents and their families, and contribute significantly to the economic stability of every region of the state. Yet some members of Congress are threatening once again to cut Social Security to pay […]

For a PDF of this report, click here. Introduction Long hours of work, inadequate pay, and lack of paid leave undermine health, economic security, and opportunity for working people and their families. Federal and state minimum wage and overtime laws are intended to assure that workers receive reasonable compensation for their work and that they […]

Jobs may be booming — but wages and income are only increasing for those at the top. Wages Since 2008, wages have stalled for two-thirds of Washington’s jobs, while already high-wage jobs have seen big gains. However, that trend goes back much further than the Great Recession. In fact, looking all the way back to […]

By many measures, Washington’s economy has soared since the Great Recession. Since 2008, the state has added over 404,000 total nonfarm jobs, and average hourly wages climbed 13 percent after adjusting for inflation. But while more people are bringing home paychecks compared to a decade ago, wage growth for most workers has been anemic at […]

Summary By many measures, Washington’s economy has soared since the Great Recession. The state has added over 400,000 jobs since 2008 – more than making up for previous losses – and average hourly wages have climbed 13 percent after adjusting for inflation. However, those rosy numbers mask the fact that sluggish wage growth, increasing inequality […]