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 …
Read More »State exports rise dramatically
California exported $14.8 billion worth of goods in February, a 7.3 percent year-over-year increase, according to a report. At the same time, U.S. exports totaled $167.6 billion, essentially unchanged from 2024, Beacon Economics in Los Angeles reported. California’s share of the nation’s merchandise export trade rose to 8.8 percent, from …
Read More »U.S. retail sales will grow in 2025: report
U.S. retail sales will grow between 2.7 and 3.7 percent this year compared with 2024, with sales expected to total between $5.42 trillion and $5.48 trillion by the end of this year, according to the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C. The 2025 sales forecast compares with 3.6 percent annual sales …
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