Economy

U.S. retail sales were strong in December, helped by two holiday shopping days during Thanksgiving weekend that fell during the last month of the year, according to National Retail Federation. Total retail sales, not counting automobiles and gasoline were up 1.7 percent seasonally adjusted month-over-month and up 7.2 percent unadjusted …

Inland Empire manufacturing ended 2024 on a down note. The region’s purchasing managers index in December was 42.5, down from 55.5 in November, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino. That was the first time since July the index fell below 50, …

California added 11,000 non-agricultural jobs in November, topping a revised 9,100 jobs gained during the previous month, according to data released Dec. 20. The state’s unemployment rate remained at 5.4 percent, as the state added jobs for the 55th straight month, the state Employment Develop Development Department reported. Except for …

An estimated 157 million people are expected to shop on Dec. 21, the last Saturday before Christmas, according to the National Retail Federation. That estimate is up from 141.9 million “Super Saturday” shoppers in 2023 and it’s the second-highest number after 2022’s 158.5 million shoppers on that day, the Washington, …

Based on its performance this year, there’s reason to be optimistic about the Inland Empire office market in 2025. Two of its most critical categories, vacancy and absorption, both moved in the right direction during the third quarter, according to CBRE. The two-county region recorded an eight percent office vacancy …

Inland Empire manufacturing appears to be closing out 2024 on a positive note. The region’s purchasing managers index was 55.5 in November, a slight month-over-month increase and the fifth consecutive month that number was above 50, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San …