{"podcast":{"title":"Seattle News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!","slug":"seattle-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7463302","podcast_index_feed_id":7463302,"rss_url":"https://feeds.fastcast.ai/the-seattle-daily-news-now.xml","website_url":"https://thednn.ai/","image_url":"https://image.fastcast.ai/podcasts/the-seattle-daily-news-now.jpg","author":"The Daily News Now!","episode_count":1989,"summary":"Hosted by Corey with the Story, Seattle News Today delivers daily coverage of everything happening in Seattle with fast, focused updates on local news, government, business, public safety, weather, and the stories shaping the city. From tech developments to regional issues, the show keeps you informed on what matters most across Seattle. Each short episode highlights what matters most—including key updates, local trends, and stories shaping the city—produced by AI for speed, consistency, and clarity. Part of The Daily News Now network, Seattle News Today is built for listeners who want reliable local news coverage in a quick, easy-to-digest format. Advertise on DNN: advertise@thednn.ai","last_synced_at":"2026-07-31T14:17:26.305386+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/seattle-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7463302"},"episode":{"title":"Washington Wages Surge Impacting Benefits","slug":"washington-wages-surge-impacting-benefits","published_at":"2026-06-13T04:39:57+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/seattle-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7463302/washington-wages-surge-impacting-benefits","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/seattle-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7463302","url":"https://api.fastcast.ai/audio/f2a1b768-3b37-4b34-b33e-d7313f724ce2.mp3","audio_url":"https://api.fastcast.ai/audio/f2a1b768-3b37-4b34-b33e-d7313f724ce2.mp3","summary":"Washington’s average annual wage soared to $99,810 in 2025 — a 4.8% jump — even as fewer workers were covered by unemployment insurance. Total earnings climbed by nearly $15.7 billion, signaling strong economic growth. These new figures directly impact unemployment benefits and paid family/medical leave: starting July 5, 2026, new unemployment claims will use the updated wage, and paid leave claims filed after Jan. 1, 2027, will too. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector led wage growth with over 12% gains, followed by finance, insurance, and the information sector — pointing to where Washington’s economy is booming. Employers face new tax thresholds too: starting Jan. 1, 2027, unemployment taxes will apply to the first $82,000 paid per employee (up from $78,200), under an experience-based system. For workers, the good news continues: minimum weekly unemployment benefits will rise to $383, and maximums to $1,208 — plus paid leave maxes will also climb in 2027. Support the show: Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: advertise@thednn.ai This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting. Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai. View sources & latest updates: https://sources.thednn.ai/f990fcab35b0dccd","meta_description":"Washington’s average annual wage soared to $99,810 in 2025 — a 4.8% jump — even as fewer workers were covered by unemployment insurance. Total earnings cl…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":107,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/seattle-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7463302/episodes/washington-wages-surge-impacting-benefits/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/seattle-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7463302/washington-wages-surge-impacting-benefits.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}