Economy

At the start of this year, there was reason to be optimistic about the Inland Empire economy. As of November, the region’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, according to the state Employment Development Department. That was a respectable number, and close to the four to five percent range that most …

Thirty six percent of California developers are delaying, or have cancelled, commercial real estate projects due to higher construction costs and concerns about global trade, a study has found. Eighty five percent say they’re more cautious about commercial development in the state because of supply chain disruptions, and 44 percent …

The Inland Empire’s unemployment rate climbed to 5.9 percent in June, up from a revised 4.8 percent the previous month and above the 5.4 prediction of one year earlier. Also in June, California’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent, while the nationwide jobless rate was 4.4 percent, according to the state …

The Inland Empire industrial market fell backward during the second quarter, amid fears of a trade war that has yet to happen. The two-county region’s vacancy rate was 8.1 percent at the end of June, one point higher than it was one year, according to data released July 17 by …

Families with children in elementary school or high school plan to spend an average of $858 on back-to-school items this year, down from $874 in 2024, according to the National Retail Federation. Those items include clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics, with an expected increase in spending on apparel and electronics, the …

Fears about the economy caused retail sales to fall last month, according to the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales – not counting automobiles and gasoline – were down 0.3 percent between May and June, but were up 3.1 year-over-year in June, the Washington, D.C.-based trade association reported recently. That …