In 2011, the Washington Roundtable began tracking the Benchmarks for a Better Washington, a discrete set of metrics that speak to the heart of what constitutes a world class state – innovation, quality education, efficient transportation, and a healthy business climate.

 

We use independent, 50-state data to determine where Washington ranks, measure changes in performance, and understand where there is opportunity for improvement.  Our goal is to make Washington a top 10 state for quality of life and innovation while ensuring it is not one of the most expensive states in which to do business.

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      Washington experienced 3.2% year-over-year job growth in the private sector from Jan. 2018 to Jan. 2019.

      Previous ranking: 5

      Washington was issued 98.7 utility, design, plant, and reissue patents per 100,000 residents. in FY 2018.

      Previous ranking: 3

    • What are the Benchmarks for a Better Washington?

      The Benchmarks for a Better Washington are a set of metrics that speak to the heart of what constitutes a world class state – innovation, quality education, efficient transportation networks, and a healthy business climate. The benchmarks utilize independent, 50-state data to determine where Washington ranks, measure changes in performance, and understand where there is opportunity for improvement.

      What are the specific benchmarks?

      The Benchmarks track 13 performance measures, including:

      1. Private-sector job growth
      2. Number of patents issued for invention
      3. High-school graduation rates
      4. Student achievement in math (8th grade)
      5. Student achievement in science (8th grade)
      6. Bachelor’s degrees awarded per capita
      7. Bridge bridges
      8. Road conditions
      9. Average commute travel times
      10. Business tax burden as a percent of gross state product
      11. Unemployment insurance taxes
      12. Workers’ compensation benefits paid
      13. Industrial and commercial electricity rates

      How were the benchmarks selected?

      The number of benchmarks is intentionally limited to focus on those areas that the Roundtable deems most important to our vision of making Washington a leader for quality of life and innovation with a healthy business environment. Each benchmark must be measurable via a recognized, reliable, independent source that includes comparative data for all 50 states.

      How is the Washington Roundtable working to achieve these goals?

      We are engaged in an ongoing, balanced and comprehensive strategy to achieve these goals. This includes a commitment to pursuing necessary policy changes and measuring progress.

View and share the Benchmarks for a Better Washington! These metrics speak to the heart of what constitutes a world class state – a climate of innovation, quality education, safe and efficient transportation networks, and a healthy business environment.

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