California’s export trade grew by 7.7 percent in March, while U.S. exports increased five percent during that time, according to Beacon Economics in Los Angeles. Also in March, exports of products made in California increased by 6.2 percent year-over-year to $10.2 billion, while the state’s exports of non-manufactured commodities rose …
Read More »Mother’s Day shopping expected to be strong
U.S. consumers are expected to spend $34.1 billion on Mother’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation. If that prediction holds true, it will top last year’s $33.5 billion and will be close to the record set in 2023, when $35.7 billion was spent on Mother’s Day, the Washington, D.C.-based …
Read More »Inland job market sluggish
The Inland Empire recorded a five percent unemployment rate in March, essentially unchanged from February but slightly higher than the 4.9 percent predicted one year ago. Nonfarm jobs in the two-county region fell by 1,600 between February and March, but were up 3,700 year-over-year, according to the state Employment Development …
Read More »Inland Empire could be particularly vulnerable to high tariffs
The Inland Empire economy will take a hit, perhaps a severe one, if President Trump’s 125 percent tariff against China remains in place, according to one local economist. That damage likely will begin with half-empty warehouses, and be followed by a loss of logistics jobs perhaps as soon as this …
Read More »State’s labor growth larger than originally thought
California’s labor force grew twice as much in 2024 than originally estimated, according to a Los Angeles-based economics firm. The state’s employment numbers were also mildly overestimated during that time, Beacon Economics stated in a report based on revised data released by the California Employment Department. Between December 2023 and …
Read More »Strong March for Inland manufacturing
At least for now, Inland Empire manufacturing is in excellent shape. The region’s purchasing managers index was 65.7 in March, up 5.7 month-over-month and the sixth consecutive month of expansion, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino. Manufacturing in Riverside and San …
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