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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

In response to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal reporting that the trend downward in number of new weekly jobless claims has stalled, Juan Pantano, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, believes this focuses more on the aggregate national picture and that the national figures mask substantial heterogeneity across … [More]

Bouncing back from the limited demand results seen earlier in the year, U.S. rental apartment leasing proved strong in the third quarter, according to real estate technology and analytics firm RealPage, Inc. (NASDAQ: RP). The occupied apartment count climbed by 146,517 units on net in the July through September time frame. That product absorption pace is more than … [More]