Economic productivity in Washington state grew strongly in 2012 relative to the rest of the nation, with the percentage increase in the state’s GDP ranking fourth.
The state’s GDP, or gross domestic product, rose by 3.6 percent over the 2011 level, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said. GDP is the value, based on average nationwide prices, of all the goods and services produced in the state.
The cumulative U.S. GDP by state grew 2.5 percent in 2012. North Dakota, experiencing an oil boom, recorded the highest percentage increase, at 13.4 percent. Oregon was third, at 3.9 percent.
In Washington, increases in durable-goods manufacturing, which includes airplanes, and in high-tech and retailing helped fuel the growth.
