Business Climate Blog

On the heels of two recent reports by the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Washington Roundtable concluding Washington’s business climate is in serious need of improvement comes a third report with the same conclusion.

Reinforcing what most employers in Washington State already know, a new report by the Washington Roundtable concludes our state’s business climate is in serious need of improvement.

The Washington Roundtable is a nonprofit, public policy organization comprised of executives of some of the state’s biggest private sector employers (Starbucks, Safeco and Boeing, to name a few).  So when Roundtable members say our state needs a more competitive business climate, they know what they’re talking about.

Washington Policy Center has long warned that a high minimum wage reduces job opportunities and increases the cost of living.  The economics of it is simple.  The minimum wage is a price control that requires employers to pay workers a higher hourly wage.  That means they can afford to hire fewer workers, or they pay the inflated wages and pass the increased costs onto the customer, or a combination of both. 

A report released this week by The Heritage Foundation highlights the staggering increase in the regulatory burden borne by Americans since President Obama’s inauguration in 2009.