County a bright spot, Gregoire reports
Published 10:37 pm Thursday, September 4, 2008
LYNNWOOD — Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday that leaner times won’t deter efforts to diversify the state’s economic base and to train workers.
She warned, however, that the state’s above-average job growth in recent years is threatened by the national economy’s slowdown.
“We are unique in the country. We are, nonetheless, not an island,” Gregoire told about 600 people attending the Governor’s Economic and Workforce Development Conference in Lynnwood.
The governor later added she is supportive of a second federal stimulus package to help nurse the economy.
So far, however, Washington state has been spared much of the pain suffered in other areas of the nation. She credited her audience of work-force specialists and economic development officials for that.
She noted, for example, that Washington gained more than 200,000 new jobs during the past three years, a period in which Michigan shed 400,000 jobs. Washington also has one of the lowest foreclosure rates in the nation.
Washington’s exports, which makes the state the most trade-dependent in the nation, have doubled in recent years to reach $67 billion in 2007, Gregoire said. She added that exports of products from this state are up another 33 percent so far this year.
And last month, Forbes magazine ranked Washington as the third best state in the nation in which to do business.
She praised Snohomish County for its job growth record — averaging 7 percent annually in the past few years. That has been credited mainly to the Boeing Co.’s hiring strength, but a range of industries also have added jobs locally.
“Snohomish County is an example of what we’ve been trying to accomplish all across the state,” she said. “What I like about the economic development here is the partnerships.”
The county is the only one statewide to host two Innovation Partnership Zones: the Aerospace Convergence Zone in central Snohomish County and the Bothell Biomedical Manufacturing Corridor in south Snohomish County. The designation gives the zones special access to state funding and other resources that otherwise might not have been available.
While cataloging recent economic successes, the governor said the state should “buckle down” to extend better times to all areas of the state.
“We always have to be diligent in talking about what’s next,” the governor said. “We have to continue to be visionary about the future of what’s next for our state and our individual communities.”
The governor also made clear the priority she has placed on economic development. While she called for state agencies to freeze hiring for now, she exempted two sectors: public safety and economic development.
“I will continue to invest in tomorrow’s economy. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the responsible thing to do,” she said.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com
Workforce grant
The state’s Employment Security Department said Thursday it has awarded $3.4 million to the Snohomish County Workforce Development Council to help workers polish their skills and to find better jobs through mid-2009.
The region’s allocation decreased by almost $500,000 compared with last year. The council oversees the work-related training services for delivered through local WorkSource centers.
