Career & Workplace
Gains Continue for Business Activity in the Inland Empire; Construction Jobs, Building Activity on the Rise
The latest Inland Empire Business Activity Index released by the UCR School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development
shows business activity in the region continuing its upward climb with the local construction industry making key contributions.
November 15, 2018— RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — Business activity in the Inland Empire advanced solidly in the third quarter of 2018 and is expected to continue its expansion at a relatively swift pace for the rest of the year despite ongoing trade disputes with China, according to the newly released Inland Empire Business Activity Index. The Index, which draws on employment and other data, indicates that the region’s business activity expanded at a 3.2% annualized rate in the third quarter of 2018, slightly behind the growth rate of U.S. GDP, which increased by 3.5%.
Looking over the past year, however (third quarter 2017 through third quarter 2018), the Inland Empire has outperformed the nation, with business activity growing by 3.2% in the region compared to 3.0% growth for U.S. GDP.
“We hear a lot about the impressive job growth in the Inland Empire, but the UCR Business Activity Index offers a more comprehensive view of overall business activity,” said Robert Kleinhenz, executive director of research at the Center for Economic Forecasting and one of the Index authors. “The steady increases we have seen in the Index tell us that the region is benefitting from broad-based growth across several industries and not exclusively from growth in the large local logistics sector.”
Although still trending below peak levels, construction employment in the Inland Empire has advanced nicely so far in 2018 (+6.2% year-to-date). This job growth is also evidenced by construction activity in the region: the total value of building permits increased 20.5% through the first three quarters of 2018.
The current Inland Empire Business Activity Index is now available. The Index tracks the performance of the Inland Empire regional economy on a quarterly basis and is adjusted for seasonal variations. The composite indicator is estimated using a wide range of economic data including employment, economic output, income, real estate, and other indicators at the national, state, and metropolitan level. The Index is produced entirely by the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development.
###
The UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development is the first major university forecasting center in Inland Southern California. The Center is dedicated to economic forecasting and policy research focused on the region, state, and nation. Learn more at UCREconomicForecast.org.