Boeing $8 Billion Tax Break to Get Washington State Scrutiny (2)

The shape of Boeing Co.'s $8.7 billion package of tax incentives is on the line in Washington state’s Legislature, where a joint committee recommended Dec. 4 that the full Legislature decide whether to tie the benefits to the size of the company’s local workforce.

The company is the state’s largest private employer, with a workforce of more than 69,000. However, that’s about 16,000 fewer people than it employed in Washington in 2012—raising questions about whether the incentives have achieved the goal of “maintaining and growing” the aerospace industry workforce.

The package of tax credits, exemptions, and a ...