Cigna, a global health service company, and Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE: OSCR), the first health insurance company built on a full stack technology platform, announced that Cigna Administered by Oscar1 small group health insurance will be available to Arizona employers across Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa … [More]
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U.S. Jobless Claims at All-Time Pandemic Low
U.S. Department of Labor
In the week ending May 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 444,000, a decrease of 34,000 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 5,000 from 473,000 to 478,000. The 4-week moving average was 504,750, a decrease of 30,500 … [More]
U.S. Skilled Freelancers Are Estimated to Have Earned $234 Billion in 2020, Says Report
Fiverr
Fiverr International Ltd., the company that is changing how the world works together, today released its fourth annual Freelance Economic Impact Report, a comprehensive study that identifies and profiles the largest markets in the United States for skilled freelance workers. In partnership with Rockbridge Associates, the report analyzes secondary data sources, including the … [More]
Restaurants Last Call: Administrator Guzman Announces Final Push for Restaurant Revitalization Fund Applications
U.S. Small Business Administration
Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced that eligible eating establishments have until Monday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET, to submit applications to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. “If our nation’s food and beverage industry is going to fully recover, we must ensure as many of the hardest-hit businesses get the economic aid they need,” said Administrator Guzman. “We are … [More]
Record Growth Drives Typical Home Values Up 11.6% over Last Year
Zillow
Seemingly endless demand and low supply have driven record-breaking home value appreciation over the past year, Zillow's® latest Market Report1 shows. April pushed the envelope even further: Annual home value growth for a typical U.S. home is 11.6%, the highest seen since 2005. Today's rapid rise in prices may recall that of the mid-2000s, stoking unfounded fears of another … [More]
Strong Demand for COVID-19 Vaccination on the First Day of Age 12-15 Eligibility
Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona-run sites in the Phoenix area, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff administered more than 6,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses Thursday and saw their greatest demand in the late afternoon as parents brought their kids ages 12 to 15 to be vaccinated. And that’s just part of the demand across our state as that age group became eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Many pharmacies … [More]
Arizona Lottery Shatters Quarterly Sales and Payout Records in 2021
Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery is proud to announce its biggest single quarter return ever to the State of Arizona: $74.3 million. The transfer is the result of more than $418.2 million in gross sales for the quarter. The Arizona Lottery projects at the close of Fiscal Year 2021, a total of more than $270 million will be transferred to the state from more than $1.4 billion in sales. Since … [More]
Say Aloha to Hawaii with New Southwest Flights from Phoenix
inbusinessPHX.com
Travelers will soon have more options to get to Hawaii as Southwest Airlines announced today new nonstop flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to four destinations in Hawaii. Beginning June 27, Southwest Airlines will offer nonstop service to Honolulu, Oahu twice a day. Also beginning June 27, Southwest will offer daily nonstop service to Kahului, Maui. Then, … [More]
Recovery for the Smallest Restaurants and Bars
U.S. Small Business Administration
Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, today is announcing the latest application data results for the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), passed as part of the American Rescue Plan, and signed into law by President Joe Biden. The RRF has received more than 147,000 applications from women, veterans, and socially … [More]
U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Another Pandemic Low
U.S. Department of Labor
In the week ending May 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 473,000, a decrease of 34,000 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 9,000 from 498,000 to 507,000. The 4-week moving average was 534,000, a decrease of 28,250 … [More]
Arizona’s Economic Outlook Ranking Falls, Says Report
NFIB
The latest annual Rich States, Poor States report released today had some sobering news for Arizona, which came in 13th place in the report’s economic outlook ranking. “While we slipped three places in the ranking, are no longer in the top ten, and are approaching what could be a crisis of competitiveness, hope still remains that we can correct course,” said Chad Heinrich, … [More]
Maricopa County #1, Greater Phoenix #2 Fastest U.S. Metro Growth in 2020
City of Phoenix
When the news gets out that Greater Phoenix is one of the top places in the nation to find a new job opportunity, people start heading to Arizona. Late in 2018 and early in 2019, that news started getting out in ranking after ranking. Job opportunities await and a new population follows. The jobs available today are filling roles in the expanding knowledge economy, and … [More]
State Sites Ready to Vaccinate Ages 12 to 15 Thursday, May 13, Subject to CDC Approval
Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona-run vaccination sites in the Phoenix area, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff are ready to begin vaccinating children 12 to 15 years old on Thursday, May 13, following guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free ‒ and they’re our best shot to end this pandemic and return to the things we’ve … [More]
Consumer Price Index Rises 4.2%, Largest Increase since 2008
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.8 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.6 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 4.2 percent before seasonal adjustment. This is the largest 12-month increase since a 4.9-percent increase for the … [More]
Largest U.S. Cannabis Transaction is Harvest $2.1B Acquisition
Trulieve Cannabis Corp.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. and Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. are pleased to announce they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement pursuant to which Trulieve will acquire all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares of Harvest. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, shareholders of Harvest … [More]
SBA Funds 16,000 Restaurant Revitalization Fund Awards
U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration will begin delivering economic relief from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, established by the American Rescue Plan and signed into law by President Joe Biden, to more than 16,000 approved applicants. This first round of funding represents over $2 billion of relief awarded since last Monday’s successful program launch. Restaurants and … [More]
State Sites Have Administered More Than 1.5 Million Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine
Arizona Department of Health Services
The seven state mass-vaccination sites in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff reached another milestone today, having now administered more than 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine while helping to protect Arizonans rapidly and efficiently. With vaccine increasingly available at pharmacies, pop-up clinics, doctors’ offices, and other neighborhood … [More]
Small Business Job Openings Reach Record High for Third Straight Month, Says NFIB Report
NFIB
A new NFIB’s jobs report for April shows a record 44% of all small business owners report having job openings they could not fill, 22 points higher than the 48-year historical average, and two points higher than the 42% figure from March. April is the third consecutive month with a record-high reading of unfilled job openings among small businesses. “The tight … [More]
