Patrick Jones

Mar 17, 2024 | tri-cityherald.com | Patrick Jones

Columbia Basin Badger Club Over the past dozen years, the greater Tri-Cities has won the sweepstakes for the fastest-growing metro area in the state. Between 2010 and 2022, the population here grew at a clip of 1.8% per year, compounded. People of Color (POC) in the two counties had much to do with this, as they expanded at a compounded annual rate of 3.8%.

Dec 21, 2023 | spokanejournal.com | Patrick Jones

The coming year marks the 50th anniversary of Expo ’74 in the Lilac City. By one key economic measure, our economy is already experiencing Expo déjà vu. For those readers old enough to remember, Spokane enjoyed an economic boom for much of the 1970s. Per capita personal income, an apex measure of economic progress, was nearly equal to the U.S. by the end of decade. Sadly, these years have never been seen again.

Jun 8, 2023 | spokanejournal.com | Patrick Jones

In a Journal column earlier this year, I touched on what appears to be most pressing issue for the Spokane and regional economy: the supply of workers. Expanding the workforce depends on population gains and the size of the labor force participation rate. Recently, the region has experienced strong population growth. But the same can’t be said of the participation rate. The rate is a convenient measure of assessing overall workforce supply.

Mar 30, 2023 | webwriterspotlight.com | Alicia Walker |Katie Tejada |Patrick Jones |Robert George

Relaxing after a difficult day can be hard, especially when we’re surrounded by technology, living in an ‘always-on’ culture, and have a million tasks that need to be completed. However, switching off from work – whatever type of work that may be – is vital for our health and wellbeing.