economics

Worries about inflation, persistent supply chain issues, labor shortages and economic uncertainty fueled concerns among business leaders that the Pacific Northwest’s economy isn’t improving as quickly as they would like, according to an annual survey from Washington State University.

State economic officials say Washington crested its pre-pandemic employment high in May 2022, but a Gonzaga economist says that means the state is essentially two years behind in job growth.

The rise of the omicron variant stunted job growth in Washington in January, but employers still added jobs as the state edged closer to pre-pandemic levels.

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell says the high inflation seen in 2021 is a temporary side effect of the consumer economy finding its way out of the…