California’s unemployment picture, and the Inland Empire’s, continued to improve last month. The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent in March, down from 7.9 percent exactly one year earlier, according to the state Employment Development Department. Employers in the public and private sector added 39,800 non-agricultural jobs during the …
Read More »Unemployment applications rise
The number of U.S. residents applying for unemployment assistance rose for the second consecutive week. Applications increased 12,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 294,000, according to multiple reports. Other data suggests that the number of unemployed workers applying for benefits is still low: the four-week average of applicants rose …
Read More »Fuel prices remain on the decline
Gasoline prices in Southern California continue to drop. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has fallen 36.3 cents during the past 38 days, including nearly one cent over the past weekend, according to multiple reports. As of Monday, motorists in the Inland …
Read More »Tax returns could boost retail sales
U.S. retailers are probably looking forward to Wednesday when income tax season officially ends. Sixty six percent of all U.S. consumers expect to receive a tax refund this year, according to data released Monday by the International Council of Shopping Centers. When asked how they plan to spend their extra …
Read More »National job growth slows
The U.S. job market went flat in March, as the economy added only 126,000 jobs while the unemployment rate was static. That was the lowest number of jobs added in a month since December 2013, ending a streak of 12 consecutive months of 200,000-plus job gains, according to data released …
Read More »Fewer people looking for unemployment benefits
The number of people in the United States seeking unemployment benefits dropped substantially last week. Weekly applications for jobless help fell 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 268,000, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. That drop shows the job market remains strong despite a slowdown in …
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