Buckeye and Peoria New Home Communities Sell Out

Landsea Homes

Landsea Homes Corporation, a publicly traded residential homebuilder, announced today that three of its premier Arizona communities have completely sold out, less than a year-and-a-half after opening. The communities include Farmstead at Harvest in Queen Creek, Sundance in Buckeye and Olive Grove in Peoria, Arizona. “The rapid sales we experienced at these communities was in … [More]

Small Business Labor Shortage Hits New Record in July

NFIB

Small business owners reported a record high reading of unfilled job openings with 49% of owners reporting job openings they could not fill in July, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Unfilled job openings have remained far above the 48-year historical average of 22%. “Small business owners struggled to find qualified workers for their open positions, which … [More]

U.S. Jobless Claims Hit 385K, Remain Low as Delta Surges

U.S. Department of Labor

In the week ending July 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 385,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 400,000 to 399,000. The 4-week moving average was 394,000, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down … [More]

How Small Business Can Change Their Relationship with Plastic

by Edgar R. Olivo

There is no doubt plastics have changed the course of history and that they impact the environment. Since 1950, humans have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics. That is a lot of plastic! Geologists say this amount of plastic will create a geological indicator on the surface of the Earth the same way we see markings on the surface of exposed mountains that tell us about … [More]

Restaurant Industry Faces Hiring Crisis and Extreme Rise in Food Costs 

by Doug Doyle

It has been a trying year for the restaurant industry and, throughout the pandemic, restaurants across the nation as well as many local restaurants, including Arizona-based fast-casual pizzeria Fired Pie, had to temporarily close some of their stores in Downtown Phoenix and quickly adapt to the unexpected challenges that COVID-19 presented. As things finally start to turnaround … [More]

Businesses Benefit: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit

by Keith Norris Miller

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire people in certain target demographics who often experience employment barriers. This includes people coming off public assistance from COVID-related layoffs. Business owners who hire individuals coming off long-term unemployment of 27 weeks are eligible for a $2,400 to $9,600 tax … [More]

U.S. Economy Grows Beyond Pre-Pandemic Numbers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 6.5 percent in the second quarter of 2021 (table 1), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 6.3 percent (revised). The GDP estimate released today is based on source data that are … [More]

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall After Hitting Two-Month High

U.S. Department of Labor

n the week ending July 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 400,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 5,000 from 419,000 to 424,000. The 4-week moving average was 394,500, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up … [More]

Single-Family Rent Growth Rate Spikes in May as Housing Economy Challenges Persist, Says Report

CoreLogic

CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released its latest Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI), which analyzes single-family rent price changes nationally and across major metropolitan areas. May 2021 data shows a national rent increase of 6.6% year over year, up from a 1.7% year-over-year increase in May … [More]

The Great Reshuffling Is Changing How Far Americans Are Willing to Commute

Zillow

A short commute has long come with a hefty price tag. But as remote work became more commonplace during the pandemic, Americans prioritized affordability over quick access to the office. Home values within a short commute of the country's biggest downtown job centers are growing more slowly than those farther out, a new analysis from Zillow® and HERE Technologies shows, … [More]

Powerhouse Research Orgs to Study Online Microbusinesses and Local Economies

GoDaddy

GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY), the company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs, and UCLA Anderson Forecast announced today the latest results from their partnership utilizing GoDaddy's Venture Forward data to show the impact online microbusinesses have on local economies and labor markets. UCLA Anderson Forecast economists Leila Bengali and William Yu created a pioneering index … [More]

U.S. Jobless Claims Show Unexpected Rise from Last Week’s Pandemic Low

U.S. Department of Labor

In the week ending July 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 419,000, an increase of 51,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 8,000 from 360,000 to 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 385,250, an increase of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up … [More]

Increases in Consumer Interest Correlates with Increase in Vaccinations, Says Yelp Study

Yelp Inc.

Yelp Inc., released second quarter 2021 data for the Yelp Economic Average (YEA) report, a benchmark of local economic strength in the U.S. The Q2 2021 YEA report reveals a significant correlation between consumer interest on Yelp and an increase of fully vaccinated populations across states and counties. The report also uncovers business reopenings reaching its highest level … [More]

U.S. and In-State Visitors Were Crucial to Arizona Economy in 2020, Says Report

Arizona Office of Tourism

Arizonans know there are amazing places to explore, communities to visit and memories to be made right in their own backyard. And last year proved it. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Canyon State still welcomed 32.1 million total overnight visitors who spent $15 billion here in 2020. Arizonans and people from other states made up the vast majority of those visitors … [More]

Study Showcases Impact of COVID-19 on Hotel Industry Employment, Arizona Down 18.3%

American Hotel & Lodging Association

Midway through 2021, a new report and state-by-state job loss breakdown released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) find that while leisure travel is starting to return, the hotel industry’s road to recovery from the pandemic is long and uneven, with urban markets disproportionately impacted. Industry projections have improved since January with the … [More]

Inventory Jump Could be Welcome Relief for Home Buyers

Zillow

Housing inventory saw significant recovery for the second straight month in June, indicating that the market may be on the road to rebalancing after a long stint of being heavily in sellers' favor, according to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Report.1 But inventory remains low, and demand is still strong, sending home value appreciation to new record highs for both monthly … [More]

Business Leaders’ Optimism, Growth Expectations Soar Past Pre-Pandemic Levels, Says Survey  

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

As much of the country reopens nearly a year and a half since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., midsize business leaders’ optimism about their industries and companies hit record highs, according to JPMorgan Chase’s 2021 Business Leaders Outlook Pulse survey released today. Nearly 9 in 10 business leaders (88%) are optimistic about their company’s … [More]

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to New Pandemic Low

U.S. Department of Labor

In the week ending July 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 360,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it was 256,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 13,000 from 373,000 to 386,000. The 4-week moving average was 382,500, a decrease of … [More]

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