According to the latest unemployment rates, Washington State is split between King-Snohomish counties and everyone else. The Spokesman reports,
“King County unemployment: 3.3 percent; Snohomish County unemployment 3.6 percent.
“No one else is below 4 percent, although Whitman, which is traditionally low, comes in at 4.3 percent and Asotin at 4.4 percent.
“Some numbers for the rest of the state: Spokane 6 percent; Stevens and Pend Oreille, 8.6 percent; Ferry 9.7 percent.
“But it’s not just Eastern Washington that’s lagging behind the superheated portions of Pugetopolis. Pierce is at 6.2 percent, Mason at 7.1 percent, Lewis at 8.2 percent and Grays Harbor at 8.8 percent.”
Perhaps high unemployment rates across the state explain why state Senate Republicans—who often represent recovering areas of the state outside of Seattle—are not as quick as state House Democrats to raise taxes. Of course, we don’t know whether or not House Democrats have enough votes to pass their historic tax hike proposals… they have yet to actually vote on them.
