This morning Microsoft announced that they will be cutting 5,000 jobs across the board over the next eighteen months thanks to a serious profit shortfall compared to their estimates for this last financial quarter. Some 1,400 of the lay-offs are to happen today. The round of layoffs will be the largest in company history. more ›

In her inaugural speech [pdf] on Wednesday, Governor Gregoire hearkened back to the Great Depression and called for "generosity among all Washingtonians" in the next few years as the state navigates the worst economic recession since the 1930s. She also hinted at a new program she has named "Washington Jobs Now," saying that she thinks it could create as many as 20,000 new jobs for the state by cutting unemployment taxes for businesses and pushing forward some $1 billion in public works projects. Yesterday, she revealed the details of the plan [pdf] at the 37th Annual Economic Forecast Conference at enterpriseSeattle. more ›