Thousands of Tri-Cities workers at the Hanford nuclear site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are watching a federal budget process that could determine whether a second consecutive year of deep job cuts can be avoided.

Small business owners in the Tri-Cities say surging gas prices are forcing tough decisions.

Consumer price inflation reached 4.2% in May, the highest mark in three years, boosted largely by higher energy prices that have spiked because of the Iran war, according to federal numbers released on June 10. 

State agency leaders received a dire warning from Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office on June 5 that they’re headed toward “what will likely be the most challenging budget any of us has yet faced.” 

Another company is showing interest in the Port of Pasco’s fast-filling Reimann Industrial Center.

State business advocates say more employers are looking to exit the state, largely because of increasing tax burdens. 

Mid-Columbia Republican state senators say the 2026 Washington legislative session delivered few wins for local businesses, agriculture and economic development projects, raising concerns about taxes, the state budget and regional priorities.

Washington has long been a high-cost state for employers, but new data show the state is increasingly losing its competitive edge in key areas.

Despite a government shutdown, hundreds being laid off at the region’s largest employer and growing costs for everything from fuel to food, homes still moved and prices continued to inch upward, albeit at a slower rate than in recent years, leading to a more balanced market for buyers and sellers alike.

A recent survey of business owners living in Washington state indicates many are looking to move their personal residence out of the state, though many of them would continue to operate their business in the state.