General Discussion

Last edited Mon Nov 3, 2025, 04:08 PM - Edit history (1)

All employers, regardless of size, must pay this rate, with no exceptions for tips or benefits. The hourly wage is adjusted annually based on inflation in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area.

Yes, there has been pain, but the economy is growing just fine.

Added on edit:
GDP growth: The Seattle metro area's GDP grew by 6.2% from 2022 to 2023, outperforming all other U.S. metro areas with a population over 1.5 million.

The cost of housing is our current pain point. (And related homelessness is at intolerable levels that keep being tolerated).

For working people who earn below median income, there is a Multi-Family Tax Exempt (MTFE) program, where developers get good deals on loans and taxes to include 10% or more affordable units -- i.e., rent + basic utilities like water and garbage capped at 1/3 of some percentage of median income. The percentage is the maximum you can earn to qualify for the type of MFTE unit. Developers get better deals for lower percentages, but what seems most common is 60, 65, 70, and 75. I'm in a unit capped at 65%, which is around $50,000. You don't get kicked out of you earn more the following year because you can requalify at a higher income the subsequent years.

There are from from enough of these units, but with all the new construction, it is possible. I got on a pre-leasing waiting list for a new building going up in an ideal location. I was fortunate to be able to live upstairs at my mom's while waiting. It did take about 8 months, but I love my place.