Washington’s employers are carrying too much of the load

Running a business in Washington is getting harder due to rising health care costs, a challenging regulatory and tax environment, and trade uncertainty.

Surveys from the Association of Washington Business in 2024 and 2025 reveal that nearly half of employers rank health care affordability as a top concern on par with inflation and taxes.

Nearly 4 million Washingtonians, or 52% of the state’s population, are covered by employer-provided health insurance. Recent national surveys by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce show that 89% of Americans prefer to get their coverage through their employer.

But rising health care costs are straining budgets across industries, forcing employers to make tough trade-offs between investing in compensation, innovation, and growth. As health benefits become one o