Ten Largest Unicorns in the World Hit more than $560B in Value, China and U.S. Fill Top 5 Slots

inbusinessPHX.com

When the term unicorn emerged back in 2013, there were only 40 private companies with a valuation of one billion dollars in the world. Since then, the number of these financial giants jumped 12.5 times, reaching around 500 in September. According to data presented by AksjeBloggen.com, the ten largest unicorn companies in the world hit a valuation of $563.3 billion as of … [More]

Survey: 9 in 10 Voters Support Congress Passing Another COVID Relief Bill to Help Distressed Businesses

American Hotel & Lodging Association

Americans are concerned about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on all aspects of the economy, and 90 percent support Congress passing another economic stimulus bill to help distressed small businesses and employees, according to a new survey of registered voters conducted by Morning Consult and commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). A … [More]

Vacation Areas Are Trending amid Pandemic, Show Low Makes List

Zillow

Page views of for-sale listings are up nearly 50% from a year ago in metro areas typically considered vacation destinations, defined as metros with at least 65,000 people and five times more vacation homes than the U.S. as a whole. That's compared to a 37% increase in page views nationally.  Vacation metros seeing an uptick in demand include places like the Jersey Shore area, … [More]

Small Business Optimism Improves in September, Uncertainty Index Remains High

NFIB

The NFIB Optimism Index rose 3.8 points to 104.0 in September, a historically high reading. Nine of the 10 Index components improved and one declined. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased 2 points to 92, up from 75 in April. “As parts of the country continue to open, small businesses are seeing some improvements in foot traffic and sales,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill … [More]

Consumer Price Index Up Just 0.2% in September

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.4 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.4 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for used cars and trucks continued to rise sharply … [More]

Is Increased Market Concentration Hurting Workers? No, Says New Report

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Pundits, scholars, and activists say the cause of the reduced share of U.S. national income going to workers over the past two decades is increased market concentration. But a new report released today by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, shows that this analysis is largely flawed and … [More]

New Study: Trade Supported Over Three Quarters of a Million Arizona Jobs

Business Roundtable

A new study from Business Roundtable finds that international trade supported 783,500 jobs in Arizona in 2018, having represented 1 out of every 5 jobs in the state before the pandemic. Since 1992, before the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the share of jobs tied to trade in Arizona has increased by 85 percent. Additionally, the Grand … [More]

Latinx Americans are Driving U.S. Homeownership Gains

Zillow

Remarkable growth this half-decade has boosted the share of Latinxi households in the U.S. that own their home to its highest since the housing bustii. While recent signs are encouraging, a new Zillow® analysis reveals remaining roadblocks on the path to equitable housing. Latinx Americans are a massive and diverse group, with more than 200 unique ancestriesiii among the 60 … [More]

Merchant Transaction Volume Steady Despite Anticipated Seasonal Slowdown, Arizona Increased

Shift4 Payments

Shift4 Payments, the leader in integrated payment processing solutions, continues to see improvement in merchant transaction volume across America as businesses adapt to overcome the impacts associated with the coronavirus. In the latest update since the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread throughout the US in early 2020, Shift4’s analysis of transaction volume suggest that … [More]

MIT Sloan Study Finds Gig Economy Serves as a Safety Net for Unemployed

inbusinessPHX.com

When workers are laid-off, they often seek the safety net of unemployment benefits or accumulate personal debt. This is a particularly critical issue now, during the COVID-19 pandemic when unemployment rates reached nearly 15% last April. A recent study by MIT Sloan School of Management Visiting Prof. Jordan Nickerson found that the gig economy can have a “profound impact” on … [More]

Arizona Nonprofits Projecting Difficult Futures Without Additional Federal Support during Pandemic

Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create major challenges for Arizona nonprofits both financially and operationally according to the latest Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Pulse Poll. The poll, conducted from Sept. 23 to Oct. 6, generated more than 200 responses from nonprofit organizations serving communities across Arizona. Among the outcomes: Without … [More]

Big Film Year in Phoenix Back on Track Despite Pandemic Impacts

Phoenix Film Office

On track for its best-ever year at the beginning of March, Phoenix earned record revenue from film, television and digital media productions. Then Covid-19 hit, and the industry came to a screeching halt. That busy period from the end of 2019 into early 2020 leading up to the health emergency made up for the next two “lost” months.  Despite the pandemic, it was a good year for … [More]

New Report: Arizona Ranks Third for Economic Momentum

State of Arizona Office of the Governor

Arizona is ranked third best in the nation for economic momentum, based on a new report by State Policy Reports. The report ranks states’ economic momentum based on growth in personal income, employment and population. Arizona ranked in the top four for employment growth and population growth. Arizona is tied for third with Montana. “Arizona’s economy was one of the hottest … [More]

One In Five Small Businesses Anticipate Having to Lay Off Employees in Next Six Months

NFIB

NFIB’s Research Center released the latest survey relating to COVID-19 and its impact on the small business economy. The majority of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers have used all of their loans and are preparing to apply for forgiveness. “It has been over six months from the onset of the health crisis and economic shutdowns and small businesses are … [More]

Arizona Leads the West in Income Growth

inbusinessPHX.com

Arizona’s median household income rose by 15.2% over the latest three-year recording period, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was the highest growth among western and mountain states, and higher than Texas and Florida. The Census data, which compares income growth averaged between 2014-2016 and 2017-2019, indicates that the median household income in … [More]

Sellers Still Direct a Hot Housing Market But Fall Cooling Approaches

Zillow

Sellers still hold the reins of the U.S. housing market as prices reach record year-over-year gains and low inventory further erodes, according to the Zillow Weekly Market Report1. However, tapering pending sales and minimal recent growth in list prices point to an overdue seasonal market slowdown that may finally be coming. Pending sales slow as short time-on-market stays … [More]

The Federal Reserve’s Role in the Stock Market

by Aaron Warby

For several months now there has been a lot of focus on Federal Reserve statements. The question in some investors’ minds is, “how much control does the Federal Reserve have over the stock market?” For the near-term and the likely over the next several years the Federal Reserve will be a major market influencer. In broad terms the Federal Reserve has three major roles. The … [More]

September Strong Job Growth Chiefly Making Up for Declines

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 661,000 in September, and the unemployment rate declined to 7.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. In September, notable … [More]

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