Introduction
The 2026 Competitiveness Redbook offers a datadriven view of Washington’ s economic health across a variety of metrics, highlighting bright spots like a robust high-tech sector( Table 19) and strong exports
( Table 8), while also revealing some of the ways in which Washington is becoming a more challenging environment for employers.
The data show a continued slowing in job growth in Washington( Table 4). Last year, Washington added 19,800 non-agricultural jobs, for a 0.5 % growth rate. That was 35th in the nation, down from 56,100 jobs created the year before( 24th in the nation) and down from 109,000 jobs a decade ago, which was second highest in the nation.
At the same time job growth is declining, the state’ s tax system is becoming less competitive. The Tax Foundation finds Washington among the worstranked states in the nation( Table 61). Washington is 45th for competitiveness, with its corporate tax at 47th( fourth worst) and both the sales tax and unemployment tax coming in at second worst in the nation( Table 61).
Similarly, CNBC’ s national ranking of the best states for business puts Washington at the bottom of its list, 48th in the nation, for the cost of doing business( sinking from 39th last year and 28th a decade ago), and 41st in business friendliness( Table 13).