Steven Ashby

As one of the biggest employers in the region, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland makes a positive impact on the state’s economy, but especially in Benton and Franklin counties.

And it has the data to prove it.

The lab directly and indirectly supported $1.93 billion in economic output and more than 7,500 jobs in the state during the 2022 fiscal year, according to PNNL’s annual Economic Impact Report on the State of Washington.

The report covers Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022.

Richland-based PNNL is one of 17 U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories working to address complex problems facing society, from national security to sustainable energy to changing climates. It has campuses in Seattle, Sequim, Portland and College Park, Maryland.

“In fiscal year (FY) 2022, despite lingering pandemic-related challenges, our staff was extremely productive, enabling PNNL to deliver on its commitments to our many sponsors. In fact, their exceptional ideas and winning proposals resulted in yet another record year of funding. Similarly, it was another record year for hiring, resulting in 627 new hires and 725 interns, for a total of more than 5,700 employees,” said Steven Ashby, director of PNNL, in the report.

The lab has a total payroll of $635 million, of which $554 million went to staff living in Washington. Another $202 million in indirect and induced wages were created in Washington.

PNNL made procurements of goods and services worth $93 million from Washington-based firms.

Construction and renovation projects at PNNL led to $20.4 million going to Washington-based sub-contractors and workers.

Battelle, which operates PNNL, and its staff at the lab paid approximately $31.9 million in local and state taxes, which includes sales and use taxes, property taxes and other taxes.

Health insurance expenditures for PNNL’s 4,795 Washington-based employees, 2,300 retirees, and their households in the state totaled an estimated $98.8 million.

Pensions and Social Security payments to all Battelle retirees who worked at PNNL totaled $179 million, of which about $131.2 million was estimated to be spent in Washington on goods and services. 

About 2,445 visitors to PNNL spent approximately 13,110 days at the lab and in its host communities and contributed an estimated $2.33 million to the state economy, mostly in Benton and Franklin counties.

Eleven companies with PNNL roots and established in the last 10 years generated $11.1 million in Washington and employed 53 people.

Licensing revenues totaled $3.29 million. A significant portion of these funds are reinvested at the Lab.

PNNL hosted 1,587 students in intern and research associate positions in FY22, the highest number ever. Most of these interns spent weeks or months on PNNL’s Richland or other Washington campuses.

Battelle contributed $682,000 to philanthropic and civic organizations (education, health and human services, arts and culture) in Washington.

To read the full report, go to: bit.ly/PNNL_FY2022.