Economics

Amazon Whittles the HQ2 Competition Down to 20

Last week Amazon announced progress on locating its second headquarters: 238 applicants have been whittled down to 20 finalists. The top 20 offer some...
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

Lessons from Washington State’s New Capital Gains Tax

Taxing the rich works like a charm. Last week we learned that the capital gains tax — which was passed by the state legislature in...

Sunday Video: The Housing Tax Crisis

Uytae Lee of About Here dives into development fees and taxes, which contribute to a significant proportion of new housing costs. In many North American cities, housing taxes have been increasing much faster than inflation. But why are they increasing so much, what are they used for, and how does this affect homebuilding?

Amazon Job Estimates Fill in Gaps About Housing Downturn

In the summer of last year we discovered that Seattle’s population growth rate had fallen for the first time since 2010, according to state...
A bicycle delivery worker with a red bag.

Corporations Push Back As Details Emerge on Seattle’s Pay Up Legislation for App-Based Workers

Yesterday battle lines emerged around Pay Up, the proposed suite of legislation aimed at ensuring Seattle's growing number of app-based contract workers earn at...

Mosqueda’s Big Business Tax Would Funnel $200 Million per Year to Covid Recovery and...

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda unveiled a big business tax proposal called "JumpStart Seattle" today that would raise $200 million per year from the wealthiest companies...

Sunday Video: How Did We Create the Housing Crisis?

America's housing crisis is a complex and persistent problem. There isn't just one reason for the housing crisis, but rather many compounding policy, demographic,...
Passengers lug their suitcases toward the train under an awning

Cascadia Forges Ahead on High-Speed Rail Despite Headwinds

Leaders from across the Pacific Northwest recently gathered at the Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference in Seattle and reaffirmed their commitment to building high-speed rail linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C. President Trump has created headwinds for the project by slashing transit funding and slapping tariffs on Canadian imports.