Washington: Half A Million Businesses, Mostly Small
The Washington State Department of Commerce describes an economy with more than a half million businesses and key sectors built around aerospace, maritime, and technology. Its industry pages count more than 1,500 firms in its aerospace cluster and a maritime industry employing 69,500 trades people, shipwrights and marine engineers. The Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns counted 202,177 employer establishments statewide, and 95.3% of them have fewer than 50 employees. Whatever the headline sectors, the typical Washington business is a small one, and its software problems are workflow problems.
- Washington State Department of Commerce: Washington State's key sectors (current page; retrieved 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2023 County Business Patterns: State file (cbp23st) (2023 CBP; retrieved 2026-10-05)