(The Center Square) - A new survey of Washington businesses reveals growing pessimism about the state’s economy and ability to be successful in the Evergreen state.
The survey conducted last month by the Association of Washington Business found about 24 percent of employers considering moving their business out of state, and even more are considering moving their personal residence out of Washington.
kAm“xE D9@H65 2 AC64:A:E@FD 564=:?6 :? A6@A=6VD 4@?7:56?46 :? (2D9:?8E@?VD 64@?@>J[” D2:5 p(q’D ':46 !C6D:56?E @7 v@G6C?>6?E #6=2E:@?D |@C82? xCH:? :? 2 (65?6D52J :?E6CG:6H H:E9 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? c__ p(q >6>36C 3FD:?6DD6D E@@< A2CE :? E96 BF2CE6C=J DFCG6J]k^Am
kAm“%96 C62D@? H6 5@ 2 BF2CE6C=J DFCG6J :D D@ E92E H6 42? D9@H ?@E @?=J H96C6 H6VC6 2E :? 2 D:?8=6 A@:?E :? E:>6[ 3FE H6 4@F=5 D9@H EC6?5D @G6C E:>6[” D2:5 xCH:?]k^Am
kAm“~?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E H6 25565 E@ @FC DFCG6J :? y2?F2CJ[ H2D ‘:D 2 A6CD@? =@@<:?8 E@ >@G6n’ xD 2 3FD:?6DD @H?6C =@@<:?8 E@ >@G6 E96:C A6CD@?2= 5@>:4:=6 @FE @7 DE2E6n”k^Am
kAmx? $A@<2?6 r@F?EJ[ 2 D9@CE 5C:G6 7C@> E96 x529@ 3@C56C[ efT @7 C6DA@?56?ED D2:5 E96J H6C6 4@?D:56C:?8 >@G:?8 E96:C A6CD@?2= C6D:56?46 E@ 2?@E96C DE2E6]k^Am
kAmxCH:? D2:5 4@>A2C:?8 6G6? "` @7 E9:D J62C G6CDFD H96C6 H6 2C6 E@52J :? "a[ E96 DFCG6J 7@F?5 “:?4C62D6D :? 6G6CJE9:?8 J@F 5@?VE H2?E E@ :?4C62D6 2?5 564C62D6D :? 6G6CJE9:?8 J@F 5@ H2?E E@ :?4C62D6]”k^Am
kAm“pC6 J@F 4@?7:56?E :? @FC 64@?@>Jn %92E ?F>36C 92D 5C@AA65] pC6 J@F A=2??:?8 E@ 6IA2?5 J@FC 3FD:?6DDn %92E ?F>36C 5C@AA65] pC6 J@F A=2??:?8 E@ >@G6 J@FC 3FD:?6DD @FE @7 DE2E6n %92E ?F>36C :?4C62D65]Qk^Am
kAmQpC6 J@F A=2??:?8 E@ >@G6 J@FC A6CD@?2= 5@>:4:=6 @FE @7 DE2E6n %92E H6?E 7C@> cdT :? y2?F2CJ FA E@ ddT E9C66 >@?E9D =2E6C[Q xCH:? 25565]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mz6J 7:?5:?8D :? p(q C6A@CEk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF=mk=:mfaT @7 C6DA@?56?ED C2E6 (2D9:?8E@?’D @G6C2== E2I 3FC56? 2D 2 E@A 3FD:?6DD 492==6?86[ FA 7C@> ecT =2DE BF2CE6C 2?5 FA `g A@:?ED D:?46 H:?E6C a_adk^=:mk=:mfT C2E6 (2D9:?8E@?’D 64@?@>J 2D DEC@?8 @C G6CJ DEC@?8[ 5@H? 7C@> `_T =2DE BF2CE6C 2?5 5@H? `e A@:?ED D:?46 H:?E6C a_adk^=:mk=:maaT D2J E96:C 3FD:?6DD :D 8C@H:?8[ FA D=:89E=J 7C@> =2DE BF2CE6C 3FE 5@H? d A@:?ED D:?46 H:?E6C a_adk^=:mk=:mhT A=2? E@ 6IA2?5 :? (2D9:?8E@? :? E96 ?6IE J62C[ 5@H? 7C@> a_T :? H:?E6C a_ad[ H9:=6 bgT 2C6 A=2??:?8 E@ 6IA2?5 :? 2?@E96C DE2E6[ FA 7C@> a`T :? H:?E6C a_adk^=:mk=:mceT 6IA64E 2 C646DD:@? :? E96 ?6IE J62C[ FA 7C@> bcT =2DE BF2CE6C 2?5 FA ah A@:?ED D:?46 H:?E6C a_adk^=:mk^F=m
kAm“$@[ :E’D C62==J[ C62==J[ C62==J EC@F3=:?8 52E2[” xCH:? D2:5] “xE :D ?@E[ ‘6G6CJ@?6VD =62G:?8 2?5 4=@D6 FA E96 64@?@>J’…]]3FE :E :D 2 G6CJ EC@F3=:?8 EC6?5 E92EVD 8@:?8 :? E96 HC@?8 5:C64E:@? :? E6C>D @7 92G:?8 2? 64@?@>:42==J G:E2= (2D9:?8E@? DE2E6]”k^Am
kAmxCH:? D2:5 E96 C646?E=J A2DD65 :?4@>6 E2I :D 92G:?8 2? :>A24E @? 3FD:?6DD6D 2?5 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 564:5:?8 E@ DE2J :? (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAm“p =@E @7 E9:?8D 92G6 92AA6?65[ 3FE E96 3:886DE @?6 :D E92E H6 A2DD65 2? :?4@>6 E2I] $@[ xV> ?@E D2J:?8 E92E `__T @7 E92E 255:E:@?2= `_T 2?5 A6@A=6 A=2??:?8 E@ >@G6 E96:C 5@>:4:=6 @FE @7 DE2E6 :D 23@FE E96 :?4@>6 E2I[ 3FE H96? H6 E2<6 2 =@@< 2C@F?5 2E E96 E9:?8D E92E A2DD65 36EH66? ?@H 2?5 E96?[ E92EVD 2 AC6EEJ 3:8 5C:G6C[” xCH:? D2:5]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$FCG6J BF6DE:@?65k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp? 25G@424J 8C@FA E92E 324<65 E96 :?4@>6 E2I :D E2<:?8 :DDF6 H:E9 p(q’D DFCG6J C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAm“p4EF2= 52E2 7C@> 24C@DD E96 &]$] D9@H E92E DE2E6 E2I6D 5@ ?@E 42FD6 >@G6D 3J H62=E9J 9@FD69@=5D[Q ?@E65 2 AC6DD C6=62D6 6>2:=65 E@ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 3J x?G6DE :? (p }@H]k^Am
kAmQpD @?6 64@?@>:DE C646?E=J E@=5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?JE:>6D]4@>^a_ae^_d^_a^FAD9@E^>2>52?:\E2I\E96\C:49]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m}6H *@C< %:>6Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m 23@FE E96 H62=E9 7=:89E 3@@86J>2?i VxE :D =2C86=J :?5665 2 >JE9[ 2?5 :E’D >@C6 E92? E92E — :E’D 7C2?<=J 2=>@DE AC@A282?52]VQk^Am
kAm“p7E6C E96 42A:E2= 82:?D E2I[ (p 82:?65 >@C6 >:==:@?2:C6D[ ?@E =6DD[Q E96 C6=62D6 DE2E6D] %96 8C@FA D2JD E96 “>:==:@?2:C6 4=2DD” 8C6H 3J ce]hT :? (2D9:?8E@? 56DA:E6 E96 DE2E6’D 7:CDE 6G6C 42A:E2= 82:?D E2I]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%@A 4@?46C?D 7@C p(q >6>36CDk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm“%2I6D 2C6 ?F>36C @?6] w62=E942C6 4@DED 2C6 ?F>36C EH@] %96? :E’D E96 C68F=2E@CJ 6?G:C@?>6?E[” xCH:? D2:5]k^Am
kAm“}F>36C 7@FC :D E96 4@DE @7 7F6=] %92E @?6 C62==J ;F>A65] x E9:?< E92E D@>6 @7 E92E :D 7C@> 4@DE 5C:G6CD E92E 2C6 92AA6?:?8 @FED:56 @7 (2D9:?8E@? $E2E6] qFE 46CE2:?=J[ 2 =2C86 A@CE:@? @7 E92E :D 5:C64E=J =2:5 2E E96 766E @7 rrp]”k^Am
kAm%96 r=:>2E6 r@>>:E>6?E p4E 255D 2?@E96C 23@FE da E@ dg 46?ED E@ 6G6CJ 82==@? @7 82D :? (2D9:?8E@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ A@=:4J 6IA6CED] p55 E92E E@ E96 dd]c\46?E 6I4:D6 E2I[ 2?5 E96 DE2E6 E2I 3FC56? A6C 82==@? :D @G6C S`]`_]k^Am
kAmpG6C286 AC:46 7@C F?=62565 7F6= :? (2D9:?8E@? %9FCD52J :D Sd]fe[ FA 7C@> Sc]ae @?6 J62C 28@] s:6D6= 7F6= 2G6C286D Se]gc A6C 82==@?[ FA 7C@> Sc]cd @?6 J62C 28@]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ;FDE ?@E 2 DFA6C 3C:89E 64@?@>:4 @FE=@@< C:89E ?@H[” xCH:? D2:5] “xE’D 2? 6IEC6>6=J 5:77:4F=E A=246 E@ 5@ 3FD:?6DD]”k^Am
