Excitement is growing as business and community leaders plan to gather once again to share insights into critical and emerging economic trends at the popular Regional Economic Forecast & Innovation Expo on December 7, 2023, at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound.
Regional labor economists from the Washington State Employment Security Department don’t have likely scenarios for the labor market in Whatcom, Skagit and other local counties in 2023. Instead, they have implied guidelines or rules for observers as to what to watch. In a Western Washington University webinar, the economists pointed out that labor shortages predate the pandemic, the mass of “missing” workers is morphing and hybrid work remains an experiment. A bonus rule? Trust the data. But be patient.