Economy

The number of people in the United States seeking unemployment benefits dropped substantially last week. Weekly applications for jobless help fell 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 268,000, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. That drop shows the job market remains strong despite a slowdown in …

Manufacturing in the Inland Empire remained strong during March. The region’s purchasing managing index last month was 59, virtually unchanged from February and the sixth consecutive month the index was above 50, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino. The institute publishes …

California’s unemployment dropped in February. Employers throughout the state added 29,400 jobs during the second month of the year, as the state’s jobless rate fell to 6.7 percent, according to data released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. The jobless rate was down from seven percent during the previous …

The Inland Empire is again one of the fastest growing regional economies in California and has replaced all of the jobs it lost during the recession. That was the message delivered Thursday by Inland economist during his annual assessment of the region’s economy, according to multiple published reports. This year’s …

Gas prices in California may have peaked, at least for now. The average price for one gallon of regular gasoline dropped more than six cents last week after rising substantially early in the month, according to multiple published reports. Even with that drop, California is paying more for gasoline than …

Regional and state unemployment were basically unchanged in January, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Twenty four states had drops in employment compared with December, eight had increases and 18 and the District of Columbia had no change, according to the department’s monthly report …