News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.
As Washington voters consider their ballots in the final days of election season, there’s no doubt many are thinking about the economy. So where does Washington’s economy stand? Economic growth has finally begun to accelerate in 2012, with most sectors adding jobs each month. Yet, employment gains are modest, and the state’s unemployment rate sits […]
Even during economic upswings, the number of Washingtonians without health insurance just keeps climbing as businesses reduce coverage. In 2002, three out of four Washington employers offered health coverage to full-time employees; as of 2010, only just over half were still offering health insurance. While nearly 7 in 10 Washington residents under 65 received employer-sponsored […]
From the Everett Herald | By John Burbank There’s no other way to say it: Health coverage for new employees is dismal in Washington. Barely half of Washington employers actually offer health coverage to full-time employees. Then there is the traditional waiting period until you qualify, the employee share of the health costs … and […]
02/14/12 4:08 p.m. Updated to clarify the distinction between the state “general fund” and “operating budget”. Yesterday’s post illustrated how to get comparable state budget numbers by accounting for inflation and population growth. Today I’ll look at three other ways we can put state spending in context. The first is to compare the general fund […]
