BUSINESS AND EDUCATION
Diverse industries and well-educated
workers provide strength
Washington's economic architecture is strong on many fronts. The workforce earns above the U.S. average and unemployment is at the lowest level in 30 years.
The state earned a fourth-place showing on a major innovation index produced by the Kauffman Foundation. The study found that the high concentration of knowledge workers, a tight integration with the global supply web and the sheer volume of entrepreneurial activity means prosperity for years to come. The report ranked Washington:
• 1st for a technologically advanced manufacturing sector
• 2nd for the creation and expiration of new business start-ups
• 3rd for the number of patents issued
• 5th for immigration of knowledge workers
The region accommodates every major industry, making its work force
one of the most qualified and diverse in the country. Many of today's
business leaders center their businesses in the Seattle region, including:
• Amazon.com – E-commerce
• Alaska Airlines – Airlines
• Attachmate – Enterprise Software
• Boeing – Aerospace
• Costco – Wholesale
• Microsoft – Software Development
• Nintendo – Gaming Software
• Nordstrom – General Retail
• Paccar – Trucking
• REI – Outdoor Retail
• SAFECO – Insurance
• Starbucks – Beverages
• T-Mobile – Telecommunications
• Trendwest – Travel
• Washington Mutual – Banking
• Weyerhaeuser – Forest Products
Recognized globally for academic excellence, Seattle possesses one of the finest public and private college systems in America. Not content to rest on its laurels, the state’s colleges and universities are embarking on a series of expansions to help satiate demand. Among Washington’s current educational assets:
• More than 400,000 college students statewide
• 39 four-year colleges and universities
• 34 public two-year colleges
• Five public vocational-technical colleges
• Expansion of at least five King County universities in the past two years
To request information regarding your business category in the Seattle
market, contact our strategic research department by
e-mail to research@seattletimes.com.
Sources: The 2007 State New Economy Index, Kauffman Foundation, 2007; Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board
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