By Bill Lucia | Editor
Washington’s unemployment rate in May was 5.2%, nearly a percentage point higher than the national rate and unchanged from April, according to figures released yesterday. The state added a seasonally adjusted 10,600 jobs last month, its biggest monthly gain this year. “A strong month of growth is welcome following two consecutive months of employment losses, but it doesn’t signal any meaningful shifts on its own,” said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department.
Also in today’s edition…
Another high-level departure from the governor’s office.
Assessing screwworm risks in Washington.
And, congressional lawmakers question the use of national park funding.
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By Jerry Cornfield
Of the 10,600 jobs Washington added in May, 4,800 were in the leisure and hospitality industries, followed by manufacturing with 2,200 jobs and construction with 1,600. Public sector employment gained 1,600 jobs. A report issued Monday by Washington’s chief economist, Dave Reich, says job growth has been weaker than expected since the release of the state’s last revenue forecast in February.
Tim Reynon, center, stepped down as executive director of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs earlier this month. State Sen. Claudia Kauffman, left, sponsored a new law elevating the office to a cabinet agency for Gov. Bob Ferguson. Jaime Martin, right, is the governor's former external relations director. (Photo courtesy of Jaime Martin)
By Jerry Cornfield
Tim Reynon has resigned as executive director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs following his election to the Tribal Council of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians earlier this month. Reynon won a three-year council term on June 6 and was sworn in on June 11. He submitted his resignation before assuming the tribal leadership post.
“His knowledge and leadership have helped us to bring about historic change in our government-to-government relations with tribes,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement. “It’s no surprise to me that Tim has been elected to this important, demanding position. Our loss is the tribe’s gain.”
By Aspen Ford
It’s unlikely that the invasive New World screwworm will spread in Washington, according to state agriculture officials. The parasitic fly poses a deadly threat to livestock and pets. But it doesn’t thrive in cooler climates, and the state has new inspection requirements to help keep the flies out. The screwworm has infected at least 12 animals in Texas and New Mexico, including cattle, goats, a sheep and a dog, in the span of two weeks. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was funding $105 million of projects aimed at controlling and eradicating the pest.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, while under renovation on May 5, 2026. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
By Amelia Twyman
U.S. House and Senate Democrats are demanding greater transparency from the Interior Department after reports that the Trump administration redirected roughly $90 million in national parks fees to fund renovations and upcoming celebratory displays in Washington, D.C. The administration’s use of fee revenue to pay for fountain repairs, statue upgrades and fireworks shows in preparation for America’s 250th birthday on July 4 diverts money from national parks that need billions of dollars in maintenance, lawmakers wrote in two separate letters to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
ICYMI
Initiative to repeal WA income tax would ax revenue, keep added costs | by Jerry Cornfield
$11M in federal aid for WA flood victims handed out as deadline passes | by Jake Goldstein-Street
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