Unemployment in the Tri-Cities continued its regular seasonal decline in May and more people have jobs than a year ago, but the number of unemployed workers also has grown.

The 26-member council, which includes Columbia Basin College president Rebekah Woods, will serve as a venue for “candid discussions,” Ferguson said, adding that he plans to attend every quarterly meeting. The Democratic governor said Washington hasn’t convened such a panel in two decades.

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.