Fresh Profile: Washington Jobs

Published on 2008-06-27

Washington's economy was primarily based on agriculture, lumber and mining until World Wars I and II paved the way for manufacturing and the aerospace industry. Today, these sectors, along with computer software development, electronics, biotechnology, and tourism, continue to drive economic growth and create jobs in Washington State.

Washington's apple industry has been the largest in the country since the 1920s because of the state's ideal climate conditions. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, in 2006, more than half of the nation's apples came from Washington. Other major crops include red raspberries, sweet cherries, Concord grapes, carrots, asparagus, sweet corn and lentils. Washington jobs in agriculture are also generated by a variety of food processing methods, such as milling, packaging, freezing, refining and canning.

Technology is a hallmark of the Washington labor market. Since 1916, the Boeing Company has been a major provider of aviation employment in Washington, producing bombers during WWII and assembling a variety of jet airliners today. Although the company moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2001, Washington is still home to major Boeing body plants and employs the largest concentration of aerospace workers in the world - over 110,000 workers and over 650 companies, according to the International Trade and Economic Development Division of Washington. The aerospace industry provides a wide variety of careers, from manufacturing technology jobs to technical engineering positions. Other companies such as Microsoft, Amazon.com and Nintendo of America have created a plethora of computer related jobs in the state. Microsoft Corporation moved to Washington in 1979; as of 2007, it employed over 35,000 workers.

Seattle is Washington's most populous city. In 2006, Seattle's largest employer was the University of Washington. The UW is a nationally respected source of research jobs, with a research budget exceeding $1 billion a year; it also provides employment in healthcare, biotechnology, science and other sectors. The concentration of medical centers in the neighborhood known as "Pill Hill" is an important source of medical jobs in Seattle. Its public county hospital, Harborview Medical Center, is the only Level I trauma hospital serving Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Other prominent sources of Seattle jobs include Nordstrom, Safeco, and Costco, as well as major coffee companies such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee and Tully's.

Washington's other major metro areas include Spokane and Tacoma. Spokane's economy originated in mining and agriculture and has grown to include health-related industries and high-technology and service companies. Its production includes aluminum casting, metal products, and carbon aircraft brakes and engines for the aerospace industry. Manufacturing in Spokane encompasses a broad spectrum of careers, from factory jobs to bioengineering. Tacoma jobs are centered on agriculture, forest products and tourism. The Port of Tacoma is one of the busiest ports in the U.S., exporting items such as lumber, apples, grain and automobiles.

Whether you are looking for Spokane jobs in education or a computer programming opportunity in Seattle, Fresho.com can help. Our fast, easy and effective job search tools can connect you to a new job or career in Washington State today!