Economic Mobility

  On January 1, 2026, the Washington State minimum wage will rise by 2.8% from the current wage of $16.66 to $17.13. That is an extra 0.5% increase compared to last year’s 2.3% raise. [...]

The Interstate 5 Bridge provides a critical connection between the states of Washington and Oregon that supports local jobs and families and is a vital trade route for regional, national and [...]

Investing in employees is crucial for businesses. Providing people with training and services that enable them to become self-sufficient pays dividends and meets a critical need in filling the [...]

Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW) has updated the Regional Workforce Plan for 2024-2028 and is seeking feedback on the draft document. The four-year plan provides a detailed description of the [...]

On January 1, 2024, Washingtonians will see a 3.4% increase in the minimum wage, a raise from $15.74 to $16.28 for workers ages 16 and over. Washington allows employers to pay workers aged 14 or [...]

Day-to-day Raul Barasa cuts hair at his shop, Chico’s Barbershop. He spends time with his customers, discussing life while clipping locks. “Hair-apy,” he calls it, a play on the therapeutic [...]

Supporting our community members in recovery and those affected by the opioid crisis is vital to the economic success of our region. The goal of the recovery grant was to provide individualized [...]

Earning a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) opens doors to career pathways that promote self-sufficiency. From bus drivers to garbage truck drivers to long-haul truckers, obtaining a CDL is a way [...]

In the wake of the pandemic, families across Southwest Washington still struggle to make ends meet. Often that means having to decide between paying bills and buying food. At the same time, the [...]

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry faces challenges with retention, burnout and staffing shortages. Long-term care workers in the Portland-Southwest Washington [...]