Pinnacol Assurance distributes dividends

Mesa County employers will receive a total of $2.2 million in the latest distribution of dividends from a workers’ compensation insurer. “At this time when Colorado businesses and their employees are facing significant financial hardships, we’re glad to be in a position to return some money to our policyholders,” said Phil Kalin, president and chief […]

Latest poll results confirm capitalism misunderstood

The results of a recent Fox News poll showed that nearly a third of registered voters hold a favorable outlook on socialism. This proportion has grown since the previous Fox News poll in February 2019.  Why, in an affluent country, would capitalism lose ground to socialism? Capitalism is defined as an economic and political system […]

Small Business Optimism Index posts record fall

A measure of optimism among small business owners posted the largest one-month drop in its 46-year history as the coronavirus outbreak affects their outlook for everything from the economy to sales to staffing. “It’s hard to say what the severity of the disruption will be, but we know they’re feeling the urgency,” said William Dunkelberg, […]

Labor department estimate: U.S. payrolls contracted 701,000 in March

Nonfarm payrolls contracted 701,000 in the United States in March as the coronavirus outbreak affected restaurants, retailers and other businesses. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent, a nine-tenths of a point increase that tied for the largest one-month gain since 1975. While the latest Labor Department estimates accounted for some of the effects of […]

Consumer confidence shaken by coronavirus fears

A monthly measure of consumer confidence has dropped on less upbeat expectations for business and labor conditions in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. The intensity of the outbreak and volatility in financial markets has made business and labor prospects less certain, said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators for the Conference Board. “March’s […]

Mesa County soars in ranking of top-performing areas

Mesa County climbed another 50 spots in the latest comparison of how small metropolitan areas fare for growth in jobs, wages and high-tech output. Mesa County ranked 81st in the Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index for 2020, up from 131st in the 2018 ranking. The gain was the 13th largest among all metro areas evaluated […]

Lawyers appointed to judicial nominating committee

Grand Junction lawyers Anne Deprey Murphy and J. Martelle Daniels have been appointed to the judicial nominating committee for the 21st Judicial District. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis appointed the two to serve terms scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2025 as Democrat attorneys from Mesa County. The committee selects nominees for county and district judicial […]