WASHINGTON STATE

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Washington is listing — but in a good way

An Advance item from a few weeks back lists the many areas in which our state of Washington has garnered nationwide kudos in recent years. Here’s a new one: The Evergreen State is No. 9 on the annual Forbes list of the Best States for Business. ​We moved up from last year’s No. 11 standing.

Tellingly, says Forbes, our “5-Year Annual GSP Growth” is 1.2 percent. That’s actually better than all but a couple of states in this top 10, including No. 1 Virginia’s 1.0 percent. The magazine explains: “Our Best States ranking looks at 35 data points across six main areas. Business costs, which include labor, energy and taxes, are weighted the most heavily. We relied on 10 data sources; research firm Moody’s Analytics was the most-utilized resource (click here for a detailed methodology).”

Forbes listForbes also points out that Washington is “a cradle for innovation” and “the birthplace for a spectrum of iconic companies, including Microsoft, Amazon.com, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Boeing, and Costco.” Fun fact from Forbes: VC money is invested in Washington companies and company proposals at a more substantial level than more every other state in the whole country. In the years 2010, 2011 and 2012, folks advanced $2 billion in VC dollars into business ideas right here in the nation’s 42nd state.

(By the by, for those of you who weren’t paying attention that day back in Econ 101: “GSP” stands for “gross state product,” and VC money is “venture capital.”)