Economic forecasts,
for the greater Seattle area.
Consider us your research center, providing you answers in easy to understand language and charts.
Established in 1993, The Puget Sound Economic Forecaster is a quarterly report published by the Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University which acquired the publication in 2017 from its founders, Conway Pedersen Economics, Inc.
The report and website are designed for business executives, marketing directors, investors, government managers, and researchers who need a professional and objective view on the economic prospects for the Puget Sound region (King County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, and Snohomish County).
Our goal is to provide accurate and well-reasoned forecasts for the region as well as clear and insightful observations on important developments in the economy.
In-Depth Regional Economic Outlook
The first issue of the
Puget Sound Economic Forecaster,
a quarterly report,
was published in December 1993.
Each report contains a summary forecast, in-depth discussion of the regional outlook, forecasts and analyses of retail sales and construction and real estate, a special topic (e.g., China and Population Change), a detailed forecast table, and the Puget Sound Index of Leading Economic Indicators.
To facilitate research and analysis on the regional economy, every issue of the regional economic report is archived as a downloadable PDF file in the Subscriber Area. A comprehensive Subject Index of the archived reports has been developed to aid in the retrieval of information.
Reports are posted to the web site one to two weeks before the printed copy is mailed.
Sample Report – Data, Trade and Trends [Volume 27, Number 2, June 2019]
With thoughts of the long warm days of summer on our minds, we have found ourselves interrupted pondering about the price of avocados and how the latest round of tariff threats that may impact retail sales and the general economy overall. Thoughts of spending time at the lake or river have found us considering stream flows and how the change in our climate may impact all of the people and businesses that rely on water in one way or another. Daydreams of patio and deck BBQs have caused us to reflect on changes in house prices and the sudden growth in sales outside of the King County – is it more commuters or are jobs moving? Will the Seattle to Everett corridor retain its worst traffic in the nation ranking? Evidently, economists are bad at not thinking about things. All of the above is ahead in this edition of the Forecaster plus a better understanding of workforce participation and the state forecast. We will just call it the beach edition.
Additional Features
In addition to the Quarterly Report,
we regularly publish
Additional Feature Reports
Breaking News
What We Are Following in the News
Total construction activity for March 2024 ($2,083.9 billion) was 0.2 percent (+/-0.8 percent)* below the revised February 2024 ($2,087.8 billion). ![]()
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March 2024: -0.2* % Change![]()
February 2024 (r): +0.0* % Change
We see a lot of stories about the "exodus" from CA. California’s population grew by nearly 0.2%, or around 67,000, in 2023. How does that growth, and the raw number, compare to WA? Glad you asked the good question! Check out these two charts.
About one in four Texas businesses say AI will either decrease employee requirements or alter the composition of their workforce. About 11% of respondents say the tech will or already has reduced their headcount needs. The biggest hit is expected to come in mid-skill positions.
Consumer confidence has slumped to the lowest since mid-2022 as Americans’ outlook for the economy deteriorated.
Starbucks sales fell for the first time since 2020 as half-off deals and new lavender lattes just weren’t enough to entice increasingly budget-conscious consumers. buff.ly/3xXeMBk
Office employees stayed home slightly more often this past week, causing the peak daily occupancy to fall nearly a point to 60% on Tuesday. Across the Barometer, half of the cities’ peak day was on Tuesday, and the other half was on Wednesday. All cities’ low day was on Friday, with the average at 33%. Austin, Texas saw the highest peak day again at 74% occupancy.![]()
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The weekly average occupancy also came down this past week to 51%, as most cities experienced slight to moderate declines, according to Kastle’s 10-city Back to Work Barometer.
Kastle Systems - Data Assisting in Return to Office Plans
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As companies return to the office, we understand prioritizing employee safety. Identify trends and assist return to office plans with our live data.Questions? We Love Questions!
We receive a wide-range of questions every day and would love to hear yours. Questions lead to data and data should lead to better questions.
Special Topics
Special topics in each report
intended to increase the
reader’s understanding of
how the Puget Sound economy works
Past topics include regional growth, labor productivity, demographic trends, inflation, multipliers, entrepreneurs, and state and local taxes.
Web site subscribers currently have access to more than fifty special topics. Here are four examples drawn from the Special Topic Archive:
Stream Flow [Volume 27, Number 2, June 2019]
Is Traffic Real? [Volume 27, Number 1, March 2019]
Labor Force and Population [Volume 26, Number 4, December 2018]
Forest Fires [Volume 26, Number 3, September 2018]
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