Consultants project job growth, highlight PNNL and health care as major employers

Echo Northwest's technical analysis, presented by Nicole Stickney (AHBL), showed regional job growth projections and sector strengths for the Tri‑Cities area. "The Benton Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area ... is expected or projected to add approximately 14,218 total jobs in the next 10 year period ... to about 2034," Stickney said, and she described a broader 20‑year projection for Richland itself of roughly 8,420 new jobs from 2025 to 2045.

Stickney highlighted that professional, scientific and technical services are the single largest job sector in Richland (about 11,348 jobs reported), that PNNL — via Battelle — employs about 6,400 people in the region, and that health care and social assistance represent 17,000–19,700 workers across the MSA. Commissioners used these figures when questioning workforce pipeline, housing needs and infrastructure alignment.