Nikola Corporation, a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and energy supply and infrastructure solutions, via the HYLA brand, released their first-ever sustainability impact report today. Nikola's 2023 Sustainability Impact Report covers environmental and social impacts, reporting, and progress towards Nikola's sustainability priorities. According to … [More]
Builders Continue Shift to Condos and Townhomes amidst Affordability Crisis
America's housing stock continues to grow faster than it did before the pandemic-induced housing frenzy, as builders race to fill a shortage of 4.5 million homes. The latest analysis from Zillow® shows roughly 1 million single-family homes were completed in 2023, the second-highest annual total since before the global financial crisis. That's about 11% more homes than were … [More]
Pending Home Sales Jumped 2.5% in September, the Biggest Monthly Increase in over 18 Months
Pending home sales jumped 2.5% month over month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, the largest increase since January 2023, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. They rose 3.1% year over year, the biggest annual increase since May 2021. Pending sales climbed last month for two reasons: Mortgage rates fell … [More]
New Poll Shows Arizonans Demand Action on Increasing Access, Affordability to Education and Training After High School
Education Forward Arizona, as part of its Everything to Gain campaign, unveiled a new poll in an ongoing study regarding the state of attainment of education and training after high school. The results show that Arizonans overwhelmingly support specific policy actions from leaders and lawmakers to increase support and resources to help Arizonans attain a degree or certificate. … [More]
See Where Arizona Ranks on the ‘Most Overworked’ States List
A new study has revealed the most and least overworked states. The study, by personal injury lawyers DeMayo Law Office, analyzed employment data for 2024 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, looking at weekly hours worked for every state to determine which states work the most throughout the year. Researchers also compared figures to the average hours worked in 2014 to … [More]
What Matters to Small Businesses on Election Day
Top of mind: inflation, taxes, wages and cost of living, reveals GoDaddy survey
With the number of small businesses on the rise, entrepreneurs represent an important voting block as November 5 approaches. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. registered more than 430,000 small business applications monthly in 2024 - 50% more than in 2019 - so addressing small business owners' concerns could help candidates differentiate themselves with … [More]
Arizona Saw the Fifth-Lowest Salary Growth in 2024
New data reveals which U.S. states have experienced the best wage growth in 2024. The research, conducted by AI productivity platform Plus Docs, examined statewide data on the average weekly wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The states with the highest percentage increase between March 2023 and March 2024 have been named in the top ten. Nebraska has … [More]
Main Street Uncertainty Reaches All-Time High, Says Survey
Small business optimism remains historically low in September
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose by 0.3 points in September to 91.5. This is the 33rd consecutive month below the 50-year average of 98. The Uncertainty Index rose 11 points to 103, the highest reading recorded. Fifty-one percent of owners reported capital outlays in the last six months, down five points from August. Meanwhile, the number of owners reporting … [More]
Greater Phoenix Chamber Reveals Latest Arizona Economic Insights
The Greater Phoenix Chamber has released its Arizona Economic Insights Dashboard findings for the most recent time period extending through July 2024. This tool provides access to real-time, interactive data updates on Arizona’s ever-changing economic landscape. Users can delve deeper into unemployment, GDP, job projections, population changes, average income, educational … [More]
How Phoenix’s Creative Community Impacts the Economy
Happening Now: Phoenix Design Week
Imagine walking the aisles of your local grocer and trying to make product purchase decisions based on a sea of blank, white boxes that are all the same shape and size regardless of content. Or interacting with a “smartphone” that was devoid of apps, color or motion. Or living in a place in which every building was exactly the same inside and out, lacking the form and function … [More]
ESOPs Are on the Rise. Are They Right for Your Business?
Benefits accrue to the owner, the company and the local economy
It’s likely that most Phoenix business owners have encountered a company that offers an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) in the past few years. In Phoenix, some of the most successful companies are exploring whether an ESOP is right for their business, and word of mouth is a powerful tool in the business community. When something works, others want to try it. Because of … [More]
2024 Ranking of the Most Neighborly Cities in America Lists Phoenix Second Best Large City
In celebration of National Neighbor Day (September 28), Neighbor.com—the leading peer-to-peer storage and parking marketplace—unveils the results of its fifth annual "Most Neighborly Cities in America" ranking. To establish the grading criteria, Neighbor surveyed 1,000 individuals on how they define neighborliness. The most common factors included charitable contributions, … [More]
Home Ownership Slightly More Affordable across U.S., Still Difficult for Average Workers
ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its third-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remain less affordable in the third quarter of 2024 compared to historical averages in 99 percent of counties around the nation with sufficient data to analyze. The latest trend … [More]
Here’s How Homeownership in Arizona Has Changed in the Past 10 Years
New research has named the states where the homeownership rates have changed the most in the last decade. The study, conducted by the real estate site New Jersey Real Estate Network, analyzed US Census data from 2014 to 2024 on the percentage of homeowners in each state, to identify where experienced the highest rise and decline in rates. According to the … [More]
Arizona Voters Want Long-Term Planning and Stable Revenue to Support Future Growth
Center for the Future of Arizona announced results from its latest 2024 Arizona Voters' Agenda survey, providing voters' views of taxes, state spending, and long-term planning ahead of the November general election. This survey research is part of CFA's ongoing efforts to center the voices of Arizonans during election season and highlight areas where likely voters agree across … [More]
ASU Details Impact of State Cuts to Higher Ed Funding
$24 million in cuts from state government force tuition surcharge, lost scholarships, reduction in Arizona Teachers Academy, and end of ASU Lake Havasu Center
Arizona State University will add a tuition surcharge for on-campus students in spring 2025 and the Arizona Teachers Academy faces an uncertain future, the result of recent budget cuts passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor. More than 2,600 Arizona resident students also could be impacted by the expected decrease in ASU’s allocation for the Arizona Promise … [More]
Housing Payments Post Biggest Decline in 4 Years ahead of Fed’s Historic Rate Cut
The median U.S. housing payment was $2,534 during the four weeks ending September 15, down 2.7% from a year earlier–the biggest decline since May 2020, according to a new report from Redfin, the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Monthly payments are falling because mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level in 20 months in the lead-up to the Fed’s first interest-rate … [More]
Report on Building for Reverse Logistics Examines Flow Back from the Consumer to Supplier
The pandemic brought into sharp focus the importance of having a healthy and functioning supply chain, that critical system by which goods are delivered from factories to doorsteps. But how does the process work in reverse, when items are returned and sent back? And what happens to the returned items? The NAIOP Research Foundation released a new report on reverse logistics … [More]
