Economic Opportunity Institute
Research and Publications
The State of Working Washington 2008
09.15.2008 | A detailed look at how Washington's economy affects our state's working families, from job growth and wage increases to income inequality and the gender gap, with special sections on inflation, household budgets and child poverty - and economic policy prescriptions that can make a difference. | Read Full Report | Read Press Release
Metro area economic snapshots:
| Bellingham | Olympia | Tacoma | Wenatchee |
| Bremerton-Silverdale | Spokane | Tri-Cities | Yakima |
County economic snapshots:
The State of Working Washington 2007
10.15.2007 | Washington has enjoyed three years of strong job growth, but the effects of recession continue to linger for many families. While we are much further along the path of recovery than the country as a whole, population growth since 2000 has outstripped the supply of newly created jobs. Moreover, the benefits of recent growth are not equitably distributed. Many families are still pinched – even in the midst of a growing economy. | Read
The State of Working Washington 2006
10.01.2006 | Washington State experienced strong job growth in 2005 and 2006, but the benefits of the booming economy have been unequally distributed. Because the job market has been so slack for so long, the typical family income has not kept up with inflation. | Read
The Environment, the Economy, and Energy: Redirecting Windfalls for a Renewable Energy Future and a Sustainable Transportation Policy
10.01.2006 | Discusses the energy-economic-environmental quandary confronting us individually and as a society, and explores policy options for rational and democratic energy and transportation policies in our state. | Read
Initiative 933: A Disaster in the Making
10.01.2006 | Our legal system protects private property rights through the state constitution, state statutes, law enforcement, and the courts - it also helps ensure the value of property through environmental laws and land use and zoning regulations. Initiative 933 undermines these foundations for property ownership and individual and mutual prosperity by creating financial incentives for self-selected developers, corporations, and individuals to ignore land use law and regulations or get paid to abide by these regulations. | Read
Regulating the Oil Industry and Corralling Oil Industry Profits for the Benefit of Citizens and Businesses in Washington State
02.01.2006 | Washington state has the authority to create
policy to capture some of the windfall profits of oil
companies, invest these profits in renewable energy, and
regulate gasoline prices. This discussion brief lays out
the background and explores policy options for a
rational and democratic energy policy in our state. |
Read