Op-ed: Why Washington leads states in personal income

America's advantage in the knowledge-based economy is our human capital. Well-educated, highly-trained, creative-thinking people are essential to the most innovative companies and successful entrepreneurs in the world today. Skilled people are the currency of economic development for states in the 21st century.

Why are nearly 95 percent of all the commercial aircraft in North America built in Washington state? Why is our Puget Sound region the cloud computing capital? Why do we lead the nation in personal income growth?

Washington is a state of confidence. We continue to see strong job growth and in-migration.

We don't take our economic standing for granted, and it isn't by accident. Our people are the single most important factor in retaining and growing the businesses we have and attracting new businesses and jobs over the next decade. It's why we're investing in a full continuum of education, including STEM and workforce development, and we're the only state in the nation to cut tuition for all college students.

As big data and automation play an ever greater role in our lives, so too grows the demand for talent. Whether it's aerospace, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, clean energy, information and communications technology, life sciences, maritime or military, a set of common needs — ingredients for success — is clear among these diverse industry sectors.