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
Donald Trump says deal reached with Canada and pauses tariffs. Last-minute reprieve follows ‘intense’ talks with Mark Carney to avert 50% levies on billions of dollars in goods. https://www.ft.com/content/8a256a34-5e8d-459a-80a3-78ba6aa121af?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8&syn-25a6b1a6=1#myft:notification:daily-email:content
Multifamily permitting increased nationally in the first half of 2026, but the headline growth masked a widening divide in the apartment development pipeline. While permits rose 4.5% year over year, several of the country's largest multifamily markets recorded significant declines. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the gains are increasingly occurring in smaller markets and among smaller builders. https://www.globest.com/2026/08/18/smaller-multifamily-markets-drove-permit-growth-as-large-metros-diverged?utm_source=email&utm_medium=enl&utm_campaign=nationalalert&utm_c
Long-term borrowing costs across major economies hit multi-decade highs on Tuesday as inflation concerns, deficit fears and surging AI bond issuance put pressure on government debt around the world. https://www.ft.com/content/61354e68-c4ba-4716-b849-b332608c8c65?utm_medium=email&utm_source=exponea&xnpe_cmp=.eJwTUnilUZdTEvH1tufRhA2LggVX-1xe1BNQMZP399Guwu0HqvMNFWalJwotvOUYVaqvn5SfUqlfkpiUk6pfAmEX6ZekQESiLWMxBZFFoo1jYYJIukxjodyUzDIwLtAvLkjM0y8uKcrPS9dPzOJJWHy0m8Eku1zif-_2BiYmABgGRqY.gKdP8dC_JQPMFw&xnpe_tifc=OIH84fhLhfPNh.YjOI_8xjpJVdUZMds_OuHZhF1jbIEstIod4.oA4FYpbCJNxuHXtILuOI_jh.b7OFn8h9XlbIeubdop4IBNxkh.hF1j&syn-25a6b1a6=1
Bloomberg: Could that be the sound of cracking ice? The yield on 30-year US Treasuries hit the highest in almost two decades, perhaps reflecting the continuing surge in government red ink, a flood of long-dated bond sales and rising inflation that’s remained above the Federal Reserve’s target for five years running. The upward movement is also being fueled by a ramp-up of corporate borrowing to fund the artificial-intelligence investment boom and waning demand from traditional buyers of those long bonds, just as the federal government’s almost-$2 trillion annual deficits keep pushing the national debt toward the $40 trillion mark. The interest rate on the long bond rose nearly six basis points to 5.31% on Monday, surpassing a high from last month to reach the loftiest perch since 2007. Nohshad Shah, Citadel Securities’ head of EMEA fixed-income sales, said long-term bond yields also reflect the Fed’s reluctance — now under Chair Kevin Warsh — to tighten monetary policy despite prolonged high inflation. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to pull those numbers down as well as government spending. Instead, Treasury rates have marched higher, rippling through mortgages and other loans as the US-Israel war with Iran further hobbles the economy with oil-price shocks.
Train robberies are a trope of cowboy Westerns, but the modern incarnation is largely a product of the pandemic, with theft quadrupling from levels seen before 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-17/thieves-steal-200-million-a-year-from-america-s-trains?cmpid=BBD081726_businessweek&utm_campaign=businessweek&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=260817&utm_c
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]
Subscribe To Our Report
and Get Ahead of the Curve
Need More Info? Contact Us with Your Questions
Join Current Subscribers Like
