Breaking down the big US labor shortage: Crunch could partly ease this fall but much of it could take years to fix, Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, September 7, 2021 The most severe worker shortages on record largely were expected to ease this month with the reopening of schools and expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits on…

From the Olympia News – Thurston County WorkSource, which operates the area’s unemployment office, is the setting this Friday for what it calls the “Warehousing and Logistics Hiring Event.” The in-person event will be held outdoors from 10 a.m. to 3 pm. Friday at 1570 Irving St. SW, Tumwater. The event does not require registration;…

The Olympian – 724 new cases include 203 reported on Aug. 4 and 92 reported on Aug. 5. However, some of those cases are as old as July 25 because they came from a data backlog from the Washington State Department of Health, according to Thurston County Public Health and Social Services. Previously, the most…

OLYMPIA – During the week of July 18 – July 24, there were 4,554 initial regular unemployment claims (down 10.0 percent from the prior week) and 311,097 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (down 1.5 percent from the prior week) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD). Washington state data link

By Rolf Boone July 07, 2021 05:30 AM, The Olympian Over the past decade, Kirkland developer MJR Development has acquired office buildings and land near Lacey’s Huntamer Park, infusing what was once a largely vacant and inactive area with new tenants and projects that it calls The Hub. And the company has done it again,…

On June 24th, Lacey City Manager Scott Spence announced that Robert “Bob” Almada accepted the City’s offer to serve as Lacey’s next Police Chief. The announcement follows a nationwide search and comprehensive selection process done with Public Sector Search & Consulting. Almada will be the eighth Chief in the department’s 54-year history and will serve…

Lacey-based warehouses and fulfillment centers are hiring. Located in the Northeast of Lacey location, companies like Uline, Harbor Wholesale, Target, and others are hiring multiple positions to meet the growing business demands. The salary for these positions ranging from $18 per hour to $25 per hour, many with a signing bonus or end-of-year bonus. For…

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) is making a $930 million mark on the economy. The college benefits local businesses by increasing consumer spending in the region and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers into the workforce. It enriches the lives of students by raising their lifetime earnings and helping them achieve their…

On May 13th, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the state is moving toward a statewide June 30 reopening date and that all counties in Washington will move to Phase 3 of the Healthy WA: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan effective May 18 until June 30. Read more on this MSNBC’s article.

A project led by the City of Lacey, opened up a food truck depot as an initial step toward a wider revitalization effort at the intersection between Pacific Ave SE and Lacey Blvd. SE and strategically supporting local small business entrepreneurs. Lacey is the most diverse community in Thurston County and a real strong entrepreneurial nature to…