Business Insider: Washington’s Economy Ranks No. 1 in the Nation

Seattle PI | Joel Connelly | Jan. 14

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2016/01/14/business-insider-washingtons-economy-ranks-no-1-in-the-nation/

“Washington has the top-ranked state economy, according to a ranking by Business Insider. Business Insider did a worst-to-first ranking, with West Virginia and New Mexico at the bottom and Washington state and Washington, D.C., topping the chart…’Washington state scored extremely well on most of our metrics. Its Q2 annualized Gross Domestic Product growth was a stunning 8.0 percent, by far the highest among the states and D.C.  The November 2015, average weekly wage of $1,073 was the second highest in the country, and was 5.6 percent higher than the weekly wage in November of 2014’ [according to Business Insider].”

Check out the Business Insider rankings, here

 

Techies Will Drive Seattle’s Market Hotness in 2016

Curbed | Tom Trimbath | Jan. 14

http://seattle.curbed.com/archives/2016/01/techies-drive-seattles-market-hotness.php

“We’re #2! at least as far as hot housing markets go. That’s good news for sellers, more work for buyers, and the eternal dilemma for people selling one to buy another. Zillow released its predictions for housing markets in 2016 and cities heavy in tech hit the top of the list. The trick for sustainability, though, is to maintain income growth and low unemployment that keeps people in the market. If prices leave people behind, the market will naturally slow. Within the Seattle area, some neighborhoods are hotter than others; particularly, Northwest Bellevue, the U District, Holly Park, Olympic Manor, Fremont, South Delridge, and Bryant.”

 

Bill Would Create Washington State Space Exploration Center to Boost Fledgling Industry

GeekWire | John Stang | Jan. 14

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/bill-would-create-washington-state-space-exploration-center-to-boost-fledgling-industry/

“A bill is in play in Washington state Legislature to get the state government deeply involved in nurturing Washington’s fledgling space-exploration industry. The bipartisan House bill by Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, would create a space exploration center to boost the industry in Washington…The center’s purpose would be to coordinate Washington’s young space industry, to tackle joint university-industry research on space technologies, and bolster space-oriented education in the state’s universities. The center would also work with space companies of all sizes to identify research needs. It would recruit entrepreneurs, and help existing Washington firms build ties with space-exploration companies, in addition to setting up space-oriented conferences, helping with intellectual property issues, and seeking federal and private money.”

Obama’s Moon Shot: Why Seattle Will Have a Big Role in Curing Cancer

Puget Sound Business Journal | Emily Parkhurst | Jan. 13

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2016/01/obamas-moon-shot-why-seattle-will-have-a-big-role.html

“President Barack Obama wants the U.S. to cure cancer. Obama challenged the country to find a cure to cancer diseases, which killed 585,000 people in the U.S. in 2014…For Seattle, though, the move could help fund and accelerate the research and technology already underway here.

The region, said Dr. John Slattery, is uniquely set up to attack this challenge…Slattery is the vice dean of research and graduate education at the UW School of Medicine. There, he’s been witness to the collaboration between researchers, companies and technology developers.

‘One of the things scientific visitors remark on about Seattle is the collegial atmosphere here,’ he said. ‘I think that’s a real asset to the region.’”

 

The Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs

Forbes | Kathryn Dill | Jan. 12

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2016/01/12/the-best-cities-for-young-entrepreneurs/#2715e4857a0b1eee3ed335ea

“Young entrepreneurs looking to launch the next hot startup have a lot of factors to consider, and which city will provide the friendliest backdrop for their endeavors should be at the top of the list. To determine the best cities for young entrepreneurs, personal finance site NerdWallet looked at 181 cities across the country for which cost of living data was available and measured factors including access to funding, percentage of the local population aged 25 to 34, the local economy, and cost of living. Data was sourced from the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Council for Community and Economic Research.”

Check out Seattle’s ranking here

 

Washington Cracks Top 10 as Popular Relocation Destination

Puget Sound Business Journal | Rob Smith | Jan. 8

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2016/01/washington-cracks-top-10-as-popular-relocation.html

“New residents continue to flock to Washington state. The annual United Van Lines National Movers study reported that more residents moved into Washington state than out last year, with 56 percent of moves counted as inbound. That placed the state No. 10 in the country for inbound moves. The state finished out of the top 10 last year…“This year’s data reflects longer-term trends of people moving to the Pacific West, where cities such as Portland and Seattle are seeing the combination of a boom in the technology and creative marketing industry, as well as a growing want for outdoor activity and green space,” said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles…The survey found that 55 percent of inbound moves to Washington state were related to employment, while 24 percent were for family reasons.”