Economy

The state Employment Development Department has donated $995,000 to the Riverside County Workforce Development Division. The grant will be used to help anyone who may lose their job because of the pending closure of Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in Blythe, which is scheduled for October, according to a statement on …

California’s economy is far from ideal, but it’s not on the brink of a major slowdown as some maintain that it is, a new study has concluded. Job growth stalled one year ago but has since bounced back to 1.2 percent, a respectable growth rate given that the state’s labor …

The Inland Empire’s unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in July, up from a revised 5.3 percent in June and above the 4.9 percent predicted one year ago, according to data released last week. California’s jobless rate last month was 5.8 percent, while U.S.unemployment was 4.5 percent, the state Employment Development …

California exported $15.7 billion worth of merchandise in June, a slight year-over-year increase, according to a recent study. Exports of manufactured goods fell by 3.5 percent year-over-year compared with one year earlier, to $9,482 billion, Beacon Economics in Los Angeles reported. The state’s exports of agricultural products and raw materials …

The Inland Empire’s manufacturing sector made a comeback in July, sparked by growth in new orders and despite a drop in production. The region’s purchasing managers index last month was 50.9, up from 48.6 in June, according to data released Aug. 1 by the Institute of Applied Research and Policy …

Back-to-school shopping has apparently started early this year. By early July, 55 percent of back-to-school and college shoppers nationwide had started shopping for the items they will need for the upcoming academic year, according to the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C. Eighty six percent of consumers say they still …