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Greater Grays Harbor pitches $500,000 EDA project to close prime‑age employment gap and boost tourism
Summary
At Aberdeen's Jan. 8 council meeting, Greater Grays Harbor outlined a two‑year, $500,000 Economic Development Administration grant project to reduce the prime‑age employment gap, while describing ongoing business‑retention, attraction and tourism efforts.
Darren Raines, executive director of Greater Grays Harbor, told the Aberdeen City Council on Jan. 8 that the organization has launched a two‑year project funded by a $500,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to reduce the prime‑age employment gap for residents aged 23 to 54.
The project, Raines said, will bring together stakeholders including Grays Harbor College, Pacific Mountain Workforce Development and neighboring Pacific County to produce a plan to pursue EDA funding for infrastructure and workforce interventions. "That prime age employment gap is huge for Grays Harbor," Raines said, noting the county's rate was higher than the national average in the data the group has reviewed.
Greater Grays Harbor described four ongoing priorities: business retention and expansion, entrepreneurial development, business attraction and tourism economic development. Raines said the organization has helped roughly 112 businesses through on‑site visits as of September and estimated the total assisted businesses approached 260 by the end of 2024, through startup support, export assistance and…
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