From the Puget Sound and Mount Rainer, to the Cascade Mountains and miles of wine country scenery, finding Washington employment becomes a pleasurable task. In Seattle, residents enjoy a cosmopolitan lifestyle where friends meet for coffee on every street corner, designer shops and boutiques line the boulevards and an afternoon break includes a brisk walk along the waterfront. For gourmet foodies, the region provides fresh seafood and the second largest wine production in the U.S. This diverse Pacific Northwest state is an ideal location for outdoor sports with plenty of skiing, hiking, fishing and boating opportunities. The vibrant Canadian city of Vancouver sits just across the border from Seattle.
Washington Employment Opportunities
Many of the best Washington employment opportunities may be found in the general Seattle vicinity. This region is known for innovative high tech firms and many job opportunities in the computer software, information technology and Internet related fields may be found.
Several large corporations maintain corporate headquarters in the upper northwest region of the state including Microsoft, Amazon.com and Nintendo. The Boeing Corporation continues to provide job opportunities in the Everett and Renton locations and other aerospace and aircraft component firms support the trade. In the retail industry, Starbucks hires both administrative and management workers as well as hundreds of employees in franchised stores. Corporate offices for the upper end department store, Nordstrom, reside in Seattle as does the Costco wholesale supplier’s headquarters.
For financial workers, the city is home to many large investment firms, savings and loan and bank institutions. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport provides Washington employment for a variety of specialties including security personnel, food service workers, aircraft maintenance and administrative positions. Alaska Airlines, a major western U.S. carrier, maintains a corporate base at the SeaTac facility.
Seattle’s skyline reaches the Pacific and many jobs in marine engineering, ocean transportation and the import and export industry provide stable and lucrative Washington employment. On the eastern side of the state, the inland city of Spokane offers job placement in health care services that support a wide region from Canada to Idaho. Mining, electronics manufacturing and agricultural create job opportunities for residents of Spokane as well as those supporting several military facilities.
High tech industry continues in this region with clean technology, digital media and computer related positions highly desirable employment. In other regions of the state, logging and agriculture dominate much of the landscape providing Washington employment for skilled tradesmen and laborers. The wine industry plays an ever growing role in the state’s economics and many opportunities involving wine production may be found. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington ranks in the mid-range level for unemployment with 9.4% in July, 2009.
Washington Employment Resources
In the major metropolitan areas of Seattle and the nearby cities, job openings exist in a variety of fields such as health care, accounting, administration, retail and hospitality. The tourism industry provides seasonal opportunities for Washington employment and temporary positions in skilled labor, agriculture and office help may be located through national firms such as Manpower and Kelly Services. For job candidates who are free to relocate throughout the state, the information found at www.washjob.com lists open positions in several regions including both Seattle and Spokane.
Another source of Washington employment with focus in the Seattle area, www.seattlejobs.com provides open positions with specific job descriptions, company profiles and salary ranges. At this site, a candidate may post a resume and typically must fill out a brief application form with an email address to research specific jobs. Listings are shown by industry or company name. Both websites www.seattlebusinesslist.com and www.bestseattlejobs.com provide agency listings in all categories throughout the Seattle region.
Washington Employment Living Conditions
In the heavily populated areas of the northwest, supplies of consumer goods in all price categories are typically available. The smaller towns of the central and eastern part of the state support local markets and may use Internet sales and mail order catalogues for some items. Some of the highest home prices in the country occur in the Pacific Northwest region particularly for real estate with ocean frontage or valuable acreage. The state of Washington offers a full spectrum of outdoor sports activities. Sailing and boating around the Seattle region includes excursions within the Puget Sound and beyond to the San Juan Islands.
The Cascade Mountain Range provides both winter and summer sport events such as hiking, skiing and mountain biking. In the interior region, white water rafting trips go down the Yakima and White Salmon Rivers. For spectator sports, professional football, baseball and basketball teams play locally. All flavors of international cuisine form a variety of restaurants and supply a favorite pastime for many Washington residents. The historic Pike’s Place Market near Seattle’s waterfront sells local and imported items including fresh flowers, produce, seafood and packaged foods. Tourism provides another source of Washington employment and local residents also enjoy the variety of both city and rural destinations.
Education is a top priority in Washington and several universities, colleges, trade and technical schools support the population. The result is a demand for high level Washington employment that provides stability and financial gain. A mild four season climate is typical throughout the Pacific Northwest region with more extreme temperatures in the inland valleys. Rainfall is common along the coast and snow showers dominate the mountains and interior regions during the winter.
Washington Employment
Living and working in the Pacific Northwest appeals to many who enjoy the combination of an active lifestyle and the comfort of modern amenities. Hundreds of visitors travel to the Seattle area each year to enjoy the picturesque landscape and take a boat trip, hike or visit a vibrant cosmopolitan city. A short drive in any direction lets residents escape the hectic urban pace and absorb pristine wilderness scenery. The wide open spaces of interior Washington, the charm of historic Spokane and the small villages along the shore offer an abundance of peaceful alternatives. A true blend of cultures and backgrounds create the Seattle environment and provide an ideal location for Washington employment possibilities.
