Washington’s Unemployment Rate & Economic Outlook, October/November Edition

Here’s a riddle for you. Washington State’s unemployment rate is tracked to the tenth of a percentage point (though whether the data supports that level of precision is arguable). It has “fallen” for seven out of ten months in 2011, yet in January the (preliminary) rate was 9.1 percent and in October it was 9.0. Is this a new instance of Zeno’s Paradox? Continue reading Washington’s Unemployment Rate & Economic Outlook, October/November Edition

Business, News, Transportation

New Engines to Put Boeing 737 Family on a Fuel Diet

It’s hard to fathom the sheer tonnage of fuel used by air travel. Today’s official announcement by the Boeing Company board that the 737 family will be re-engined, creating a line of 737REs, is frequently being described in terms of percentages: “The U.S.-based manufacturer expects the 737RE’s fuel burn to be 16 per cent lower than the current A320 family and 4 per cent lower than the A320neo family.” Continue reading New Engines to Put Boeing 737 Family on a Fuel Diet

Business, News, Politics

Washington State Economy Needs That Boeing Bounce…And More

That’s well and good, says Raha, but “Boeing cannot, by itself, save us from the impact of another slowdown in the U.S. economy.” Recently, Raha has made a point of looking for upsides, saying that barring this or that unforeseen incident, the state can expect modest growth. Yet, since 2008, the winds have refused to blow fair. Now the disruption of the Japan earthquake has been followed by a summer of wrangling over the emperor’s new debt ceiling, and even incremental recovery has stalled out. Continue reading Washington State Economy Needs That Boeing Bounce…And More

News

Boeing Board Next to Weigh In on Surprise 737 Re-Engine

If the exact circumstances are embarrassing for Boeing, it’s more worrisome to hear Boeing Commercial Airplanes head Jim Albaugh admit that, internally, Boeing could not come up with a way to produce a new plane with sufficient speed: 40 to 60 per month. Their customers, waiting on 787s and 747-8s, can be forgiven a little concern over whether Boeing still knows how to ship a new plane on time and on budget. Continue reading Boeing Board Next to Weigh In on Surprise 737 Re-Engine

Business, News, Politics

What is the Sound of Washington State’s Economy Treading Water?

Washington State’s chief economist, Arun Raha, has updated his revenue forecast for the state for June, and the upshot is that projections for the 2011-13 biennium are down $183 million. It’s become habit the last few years for Raha to trot out an analysis that shows a near-term plateau, with a soft recovery in the offing, perhaps six months or more out. Raha is scrupulous about noting that even a mild recovery is predicated on fair economic winds, it’s just that, regularly, the economic winds do not blow fair. Continue reading What is the Sound of Washington State’s Economy Treading Water?

Business, Environment, Health, News, Science

Earthquake Prep: Is the Northwest Tech Sector Ready?

Bellevue does sit right on top of the Seattle Fault Zone, on a section that has broken the surface and thrust itself upward. As such, the area has experienced repeated very intense shaking, much larger than any of the earthquakes we’ve had since the city was founded. Are Eastside buildings ready for that earthquake? It is worth taking the time to work out how well the buildings you occupy handle quakes: Were they built with earthquakes in mind? Continue reading Earthquake Prep: Is the Northwest Tech Sector Ready?