The increasing cost of everything – from food to energy to doctor’s office visits – means Washington state employers paying minimum wage to workers must increase their pay come Jan. 1. 

Washington state’s paid family and medical leave program is facing challenges on multiple fronts, from solvency issues to unexpected tax liabilities for workers and employers. 

Employment in the Tri-Cities grew slightly in August compared to the prior month and the past year, according to the state’s latest jobs data. 

In the Tri-Cities, more than 80 people employed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory by Battelle hold H-1B visas, making it a top 10 employer in the state for workers with H-1B visas.

Staff from a pediatric clinic in Kennewick are among those being laid off by Seattle Children’s Hospital.

State labor officials are proposing in 2026 raising the amount employers and workers pay for workers’ compensation insurance to partially cover the anticipated costs of claims for wages, medical costs and disability benefits. 

Those working on radiation and nuclear projects as part of national security missions at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are now being asked to volunteer to be laid off as the Richland lab continues to look for ways to cut costs. 

As immigration policies change, farmers are turning to a guest worker program known as the H-2A visa program, an option allowing farmers to legally hire workers from other countries. As immigration detentions ramp up, concerns grow among employers and domestic workers.

The Trump administration’s top official at the U.S. Department of Energy has reportedly told a Washington senator that he is stalling operations at a critical Hanford site facility that is weeks away from beginning operations – though his office says otherwise.

High school students locally and across the state have the opportunity to get hands-on financial experience, thanks to a Richland-based credit union’s student program, now in its 25th year.