Washington’s average annual wage tops $99,000

 Washington’s average annual wage grew 4.9% in 2025 to $99,810, according to the state Employment Security Department.  

The increase was driven by a 4.7% rise in total earnings – up nearly $15.7 billion – despite a 0.2% decrease in covered employment, or jobs subject to unemployment insurance taxes. 

The average weekly wage rose from $1,830 in 2024 to $1,919 in 2025. The average number of workers covered by unemployment insurance fell by 6,905. 

The industries posting the largest average annual wage growth were professional, scientific and technical services, up 12.5%; finance and insurance, up 8.7%; and information, up 8.4%. 

The 2025 figure is used to set unemployment benefits, paid family and medical leave benefits, and employer unemployment taxes. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries also uses it to calculate workers’ compensation benefits. 

Key changes taking effect under the new wage figure: 

The minimum weekly unemployment benefit increases $17 to $383 for new claims opened on or after July 5; the maximum increases $56 to $1,208. 

The maximum paid leave benefit increases from $1,647 to $1,727 for claims filed on or after Jan. 1, 2027; the minimum remains $100. 

Beginning in 2027, employers will pay unemployment payroll taxes on the first $82,000 paid to each employee, up from $78,200 in 2026.

Kennewick doctor publishes third book

A Kennewick doctor who’s authored two books on his experiences has recently published a third book, which shares life lessons from a dog’s perspective. 

Dr. Randall Fong is an ear, nose and throat specialist with a practice in Kennewick through Proliance Surgeons, but he’s also an artist and author. His latest book, “The Book of Samuel: A Dog Manifesto for Happy Living,” shares a dog’s view of life and happiness.  

The book is available from Amazon for $12.99 for paperback and $19.99 for hardcover copies. All profits from the sale will be donated to the Benton-Franklin Humane Society.  

Proceeds from Fong’s other two books, “From Bedlam to Bedside: The Mad Odyssey of Creating Doctors” and “The Not-So-Great Guidebook to Childrearing for the Not-So-Bright Parent,” have gone to the nonprofit Grace Clinic since 2006.   

Go to: randallfong.com.

Hospital district awards $20K to support aspiring social workers

Prospective students interested in one of the newest bachelor’s degree programs at Washington State University Tri-Cities just got a financial boost from the Kennewick Public Hospital District. 

The hospital district recently awarded $20,000 to the university to establish scholarships for students pursuing a bachelor’s in social work, according to a release. The degree program is currently under development.

The donation came from the Paul G. and Mabel Richmond Endowment Fund, which is overseen by the hospital district. The fund has also supported the nursing program at WSU Tri-Cities. 

Qualified social workers are increasingly needed in the region to serve in healthcare, education and other roles, largely to support historically underserved populations.

Donor issues $75,000 matching challenge for local nonprofits

3 Rivers Community Foundation has announced the launch of its 2026 Meet the Moment Campaign, a community fundraising effort supporting nonprofits serving Benton and Franklin counties. 

The campaign, which runs through Sept. 30, includes a matching challenge from an anonymous donor aimed at raising $75,000 for responsive local grantmaking. 

Originally launched in 2025, Meet the Moment was created to help nonprofits address urgent and emerging community needs through flexible funding. Grants from the fund are distributed locally before the end of the year. 

The foundation aims to create opportunities for perpetual giving in Benton and Franklin counties to support nonprofits by managing a collection of many separate endowed funds established by individuals, families and charitable organizations. These funds are pooled and invested and the income from these investments is distributed back into the community of nonprofits. 

Go to: 3rcf.org/press/meet-the-moment-returns-for-2026.

West Richland offers dog microchip scanning station

The West Richland Police Department has installed a free microchip scanning station to help reunite lost dogs with their owners.  

Located at the east end of the West Richland Police Department parking lot at 7920 W. Van Giesen St., the new station is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Community members who find a lost dog can take it to the station to scan for a microchip. Normally, this would be done at an animal shelter. If a chip is located, the station provides instructions for reunification.  

The goal is to lower the number of shelter intakes and allow the community to help lost dogs outside of business hours and on holidays and weekends.  

If a chip is not located, community members must temporarily take the dog back with them until another alternative is found. A sign at the station warns citizens leaving a dog behind at the station is considered a crime, which is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000, by imprisonment for not more than 365 days or both.  

The station is under multiple surveillance cameras and near a manned building.  

The new scanner was supported by the West Richland Police Department and the Community Care Foundation, with a sign contributed by an anonymous donor and the whole station put in place by the city maintenance division. 

New rules around hiring, job postings for WA businesses

Business owners may want to review any job descriptions and hiring policies as new state rules regarding hiring and job posting practices are now in effect. 

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted the new rules, approved by state lawmakers in 2025, under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act on May 22.  

Among the updates: 

Businesses may only require employees to have a valid driver’s license if driving is essential to their job. It is also may not be listed as required in a job description unless driving is tied to that job’s responsibilities. 

Clarifications around salary and wage disclosure requirements in job postings, including what counts as a job posting, who is considered a job applicant and how pay ranges should be communicated. 

Compliance expectations around complaints, investigations, appeals and resolving violations with L&I. 

To learn more, go to: bit.ly/lni-rulemaking.

Build your management skills this summer at WSU Tri-Cities

Looking to strengthen your management skills or prepare for a future in leadership? Washington State University Tri-Cities has an opportunity for you. 

The university’s Cougar Tracks professional education program recently announced a Summer Manager Coaching Series scheduled June 3-4 and 9-10 aimed at building leadership capacity for businesses across the Tri-Cities. 

The series will be taught by WSU Professor Wade Larson, lead faculty member across several components of the university’s MBA and executive programs, and Garth Reed, a leadership development professional specializing in government and interagency training initiatives. 

Participants will learn strategies around topics such as coaching employees toward higher performance and accountability, navigating performance conversations with confidence and building trust, engagement and collaboration within teams. 

Cost to enroll in the series is $1,050. Scholarships are available with cost reimbursement available for eligible employers through the Richland Chamber of Commerce Business Boost Grant. Pasco residents and businesses may be able to attend at no upfront cost by applying for a workforce training scholarship. 

Go to: tricities.wsu.edu/continuing-education.

WSU online MBA programs highly ranked by business publication 

Looking to earn your MBA from a highly-regarded academic program? You need not look further than across the Palouse. 

CEO Magazine recently recognized Washington State University’s Carson College of Business’ online MBA and Executive MBA programs as No. 2 and 9, respectively, in the U.S. They ranked No. 16 and 24 in the magazine’s global rankings. Both programs improved their standings from 2025. 

The publication, which first began publishing in 2008, ranked more than 150 schools offering 340 different programs in 24 countries, including programs from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, North America, and South America. Rankings were based on several criteria including faculty quality, diversity, accreditation, cohort composition, exposure, and value measures.

PNNL helps turn waste into medical radioisotope supply

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in partnership with two national organizations, is repurposing waste materials to be used for medical radioisotope production.   

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Isotope R&D and Production (IRP) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have converted radiological waste stored at NIST facilities into a valuable feedstock material used for radioisotope production, radium-226.    

Securing a domestic supply of Ra-226 is a strategic priority for the U.S., as supplies of key medical isotopes can help power next-generation cancer therapies and other applications. Repurposing waste also helps to reduce legacy radiological waste materials in storage across the country.   

“By working in partnership with NIST and leveraging the capabilities of (PNNL) and the National Laboratory system, we are converting previously unused materials into a strategic resource that supports U.S. leadership in cancer therapy and radioisotope production while improving safety for workers and removing long term hazards for facilities,” said Christopher Landers, director of IRP, in a statement.   

Under the direction of IRP, PNNL developed the technical capabilities to recover the material across a variety of sites and material forms, including safe handling, packaging and transportation of the Ra-226. Now, the laboratory can process the material and use it as feedstock.   

“The therapeutic promise of actinium-225 is significant, and the limits on supply have direct impacts on the ability for cancer patients to access life-saving treatments. By leveraging existing Ra-226, we can increase the domestic production capacity of actinium-225,” said Matt Fountain, PNNL’s project manager on the effort, in a statement. 

More EV charging locations coming to Tri-Cities

A state agency has awarded $2.4 million to support 16 new electric vehicle charging slots across three sites in Benton County. 

Four Level 2 EV charging ports also have been installed in the parking lot of Columbia Basin College’s Student Recreation Center in Pasco. 

The Washington Department of Commerce recently announced $37.3 million in grants for more than 100 projects across the state aimed at further building out EV charging infrastructure.  

The grants were provided through the Washington Electric Vehicle Charging Program, which is funded by the state’s climate initiatives such as carbon credits. 

Most of the 16 new charging stations will be at one of two locations in Kennewick: the Sinclair gas station at 815 W. Columbia Drive and in the vicinity of Clearwater Avenue and Union Street. Four charging stations will be installed at the Love’s Travel Stop in Prosser just off Interstate 82. 

Timelines and specifics on what type of chargers will be installed for those projects were not immediately available.  

At CBC, the chargers are 240 volts and are typically capable of adding 20 to 30 miles of range per hour of charging. 

The chargers are part of a collaborative effort between the college and Energy Northwest, with funding also provided by a grant from the state Department of Ecology.  

The project reflects Energy Northwest’s ongoing commitment to expanding EV infrastructure as part of its broader sustainability strategy, the company said in a news release.  

The charging stations are accessible through the ChargePoint and PlugShare mobile apps.

Portland flights take off from Tri-Cities Airport

For the first time in nearly a decade, Tri-Citians can hop on a commercial flight rather than spending hours driving down Interstate 84 to get to Portland. 

Alaska Airlines launched its new twice-daily route between the Tri-Cities and Portland International airports on June 10. It will be served by an Embraer 175 aircraft, which can seat up to 76 passengers. 

The route has been the most requested by travelers since its departure. The flight schedule will allow for travelers to visit and leave Portland within the same day, with a morning departure from Pasco at 5:25 a.m. and a return flight from Portland leaving that city as late as 9:40 p.m. The other Pasco departure will be at 3:59 p.m.

Wine leaders join forces to promote WA wines

Leaders from some of the largest players in Washington wine will now work together to promote the state’s industry across the country. 

Called One Voice Council, its members include executives from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, DeLille Cellars and others that have a substantial presence in the Columbia Valley and associated grape-growing regions, such as Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills. 

“By uniting as the One Voice Council, we transcend individual competition to champion a collective mission,” the council said in a statement. “This mission leverages our shared expertise and innovative spirit to elevate the entire Washington wine category within the national account channel, proving that when we lead with community, we secure a more prominent and prosperous future for the state’s world-class wine industry.” 

The council did not announce any specific details on its plans to raise the state wine industry’s profile. Rather, the group will leverage the combined expertise of its members to look for ways to promote Washington wine nationally at bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues. 

Washington wine has struggled in recent years and 2025 showed a steep decline. That season saw the lowest tonnage of grapes harvested since at least 2011 by tens of thousands of tons. The number of wineries in the state sank to 985 by the end of the year, the fewest since 2018.

Cancer survivors’ names sought to ride the Pink Bus

Ben Franklin Transit is transforming its Pink Bus and Dial-A-Ride into a rolling tribute to local breast cancer survivors – and organizers are asking survivors to submit their names to be displayed on the vehicles. 

The campaign, “Driven by Hope” aims to collect 1,000 printed names from survivors across the community. Each name displayed will represent a personal journey and a story of courage, organizers said. 

BFT plans to debut the bus in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Participation is simple. Survivors can print their name on a release form or on a plain piece of paper using a black pen, photograph it with a cellphone and email the image along with the completed release form to [email protected]. 

Once complete, the buses will travel throughout the community carrying the names as a public message of awareness, support and hope. 

The release form and full instructions are available at bft.org/pink.

Cardroom operator shutters operations around WA 

The company that operates two cardrooms in the Tri-Cities is shutting down similar facilities around the state, citing regulations that left small cardrooms at a competitive disadvantage. 

Maverick Gaming recently announced the closure of Mountlake Terrace’s Dragon Tiger Casino, Lakewood’s Palace Casino, Bothell’s Silver Dollar Mill Creek Casino and Roman Casino in Seattle, according to a statement on Maverick’s website. 

The closures in Mountlake Terrace and Bothell left more than 120 people without jobs, according to information filed with the state Employment Security Department.  

Maverick officials told the state that the Bothell and Mountlake Terrace casinos were supposed to close in December, but they were negotiating a sale, which fell through amid their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. 

The company’s two sites in the Tri-Cities – Coyote Bob’s Roadhouse Casino in Kennewick and Crazy Moose in Pasco – are not affected. 

Company officials said the closures were motivated by state gaming officials rejecting Maverick’s bid to centralize its surveillance operations. 

“In the decision considerations, the (Washington State Gaming Board of Commissioners) compared Washington cardroom casinos (15 tables) to mega casinos that attract higher volumes of traffic, impacting our operations,” Maverick wrote in a statement on its website. “The lack of centralized and advanced surveillance technology, in contrast to what is available in larger establishments, has further hindered our ability to compete effectively.”