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Fueled by federal pandemic money, Washington state's spending has skyrocketed

April 16, 2024

Washington state government spending increased 169% from 1991 to 2023.

The state’s total spending was $12.21 billion in 1991 and increased to $73.59 billion in 2023. When adjusted for inflation, that accounts for the 169% increase.

That's according to budget documents provided online by the state.

The migration of people to Washington over the past 32 years has triggered a dramatic increase in the number of state workers.

 

In 2023, Washington employed 125,892 full-time positions, a 49% increase in the number of workers since 1991. The state had 84,563 full-time positions in 1991. That’s kept in line with the state population which has jumped 59% over that time span to 7.95 million people. Read the entire article here. 

 
 
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