Skamania County offers “the best of both worlds”: rural lifestyle in a National Scenic Area with immediate proximity to the labor force and services of a metro market.   
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• The workforce in Skamania County is known for its broad range of skill levels, low turnover rate and low costs. Businesses moving from metro areas can expect impressive savings on direct labor costs, plus additional savings on training and other employee expenses.

• The Washington State Department of Employment Security reports that Skamania County’s employers’ labor costs, industry-by-industry generally range between 20 and 45 percent lower the costs in the Seattle, Portland and Vancouver metro areas.

• Cost of hiring and training new employees may be significantly reduced by programs operated through the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council and Skamania County Work Source Programs.

• Burgeoning growth of Portland metro (including east Clark County) technology businesses creates “spillover” opportunities for Skamania County due to its proximity to the urban “technopolis.” Nearly half our workforce presently commutes out of the county, indicating a “talent pool” potentially available to take advantage of new and better employment opportunities locally.

• Many skilled workers, drawn to Skamania County for its livability, are underemployed in general labor, seasonal or temporary jobs and are eager to fulfill employment opportunities. The total available labor force, estimated at over 35,000, moves freely among the several communities of the Columbia Gorge Region.