Puget Sound Partnership Launches 20-Point Tech Plan After Region Lost 7,000 Jobs

3 articles · Updated · GeekWire · Sep 14

Roughly 50 Puget Sound elected officials, labor leaders and executives launched a 20-point regional plan Monday to halt the Seattle area's economic slide and build a formal tech strategy within three years.
The push follows nearly 7,000 jobs lost in 2025 and Washington's drop to 47th from 32nd in CNBC's cost-of-doing-business ranking since 2017, with the report warning the region is losing ground to Austin, Boston, New York and the Bay Area.
Challenge Seattle said the strategy will focus on keeping major tech companies investing locally and helping startups scale, alongside recommendations for faster permits, a business contact in every city and county, and action on stacked taxes.
Brad Smith used Seattle's JumpStart payroll tax as a test case, arguing it functions as a tax on tech jobs and encourages hiring to shift to Bellevue and the Eastside as AI already raises pressure on employment.
The plan arrives as Washington debates its broader tax mix: lawmakers rolled back a 35% estate-tax rate this year, a 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million is set for 2028 unless voters repeal it in November, and Seattle's own report found JumpStart adds about $17,000 to hiring a $650,000 engineer versus Bellevue.