NEWS RELEASE                                                        EXHIBIT 99

                         BARRETT BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
                         ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF MERGER
                    WITH WESTERN INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT, INC.


      PORTLAND, OREGON, June 29, 1998 -- Barrett Business Services, Inc. (Nasdaq
trading  symbol:  "BBSI") today  announced the completion of its  acquisition of
Western  Industrial  Management,  Inc.  pursuant to a  stock-for-  stock  merger
effective  June  29,  1998.  The   transaction   will  be  accounted  for  as  a
pooling-of-interests.

      The  transaction,  valued by the parties at  approximately  $10.7 million,
includes consideration of 894,642 shares of Barrett common stock and $519,095 in
cash.  Barrett also expects to recognize  one-time  merger-related  costs in the
second  quarter ended June 30, 1998 totaling  approximately  $725,000,  of which
$425,000 reduced the previously announced purchase price of $11.1 million.

      Western, a privately-held  staffing services company  headquartered in San
Bernardino,  California,  operates  six branch  offices in Southern  California.
Keith Rentschler,  Western's President,  was appointed an Area Vice President of
Barrett today and will have management  responsibility for Western's six offices
and Barrett's current five offices in Southern  California.  Western's  revenues
for the year ended December 31, 1997 were approximately $24.5 million.

      Barrett Business  Services,  Inc. is a human resource  management  company
with  offices in  Washington,  Oregon,  Idaho,  California,  Arizona,  Michigan,
Maryland and Delaware. For 1997, Barrett reported revenues of $281.0 million and
net income of $3.8 million.