ANACORTES — For every refinery worker who lives on Fidalgo Island, an additional job on the island is created, according to a recently released Western Washington University study.
The study, commissioned by the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, reviews how the Shell Puget Sound Refinery and Tesoro Anacortes Refinery impact the island’s economy.
Key findings include that the 217 refinery workers living on Fidalgo Island spend $4.5 million on the island, not including purchases such as real estate and vehicles.
Also, the jobs created by the refineries — the refinery workers plus the additional jobs they create — represent 7 percent of employment on Fidalgo Island.
Anacortes Chamber of Commerce Director Stephanie Hamilton said the job multiplier statistic stands out.
“That’s a big deal here,” she said. “The closest is marine trades.”
Each boat building job creates an additional 0.4 of a job on Fidalgo Island, according to the study.
The average salary of refinery workers living on Fidalgo Island is $140,000, according to the report. That’s higher than the $110,000 average wage of all refinery workers.
The report hypothesizes the higher wages for the Fidalgo Island residents is indicative of the type of worker who calls the island home: those holding managerial positions or who have more seniority.
The Chamber of Commerce held off publicizing the study, which was released April 19, because it didn’t want to associate the study with the Break Free PNW protest against fossil fuels held in May. The study was commissioned Jan. 19, before the chamber was aware of the protest.
The study is the first in a series of economic impact reviews to be commissioned by the chamber, Hamilton said.
The next study will focus on tourism.
“We are doing financially well as a chamber, so we want to these reports out there for people to use,” she said.
The cost of the refinery study was $2,500, said Hamilton.
