💰 WA lawmakers fight surge pricing

Layoffs Continue To Hit the State

Another week, another round of tech layoffs. These latest layoffs come just as Washington’s unemployment rate increased late last year, and the job market shrank for the first time since COVID.

• 2,200 Amazon Jobs Lost in WA: Of the 16K layoffs last week at Amazon, about 2,200 were Washington state employees. This round hit engineers and coders the hardest. [KUOW]
• T-Mobile Announces Layoffs: T-Mobile has notified the Washington Employment Security Department that layoffs are planned for April in offices across the state, including the Bellevue HQ. [FOX 13]
• Zillow Cuts 200 Jobs: Zillow has terminated 200 employees whose “performance did not meet expectations’, according to what a Zillow spokesperson said in a statement. It is unclear how many of the roles are Seattle-based, as the company is headquartered here but has employees across the country. [Seattle Times]
• Eddie Bauer To Close All US Locations: In other economically brutal news, Eddie Bauer is closing all of its stores after filing for bankruptcy. Eleven of those are in Washington. The brand originated in Seattle in 1920. [MyNorthwest]

Surge Pricing and Surveillance 🍅

Grocery prices surged 5.2% at the end of last year in Seattle, and now WA lawmakers are considering House Bill 2481 to combat surveillance and surge pricing. If you want to get the 411 on this, check out this very helpful TikTok from @evanyellsatclouds.

99 Tunnel Shutting Down for 24 Hours 🛣️

The north- and southbound lanes of the State Route 99 tunnel will shut down entirely between 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, and 6 a.m. on Feb. 7 for maintenance, including fire system tests and fixing lights. Southbound drivers will exit at the Harrison Street off-ramp, while northbound drivers will exit at Alaskan Way. [MyEdmondsNews]

How Much Do Your Neighbors Make? 🤑

Seattle Times’ FYI Guy has a chart showing the median income in King County neighborhoods, and it’s an interesting look at what people are earning. Among the highest ($250,000+ annual income) in Seattle were Laurelhurst and Montlake/North Capitol Hill. [Seattle Times]