A monthly measure of consumer confidence has dropped along with expectations for improving labor conditions and earnings. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) fell more than two points to 79.7 in September. “Consumer confidence decreased in September as concerns about the short-term outlook for both jobs and earnings resurfaced, while expectations […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County has slipped below 8 percent for the second time in four months. But even as some statistics point to improving labor conditions, other numbers continue to reflect an economy that’s yet to recover to the same extent as other areas of Colorado and […]
A monthly index forecasting economic performance in the United States continues to signal growth. But questions persist about the housing and labor markets as well as a potential impasse over the federal budget. The Conference Board reported that its Leading Economic Index (LEI) rose seven-tenths of a percent in August to 96.6. The LEI has […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times An entrepreneur who founded a chain of restaurants and now serves as the state’s chief marketing officer is expected to discuss the role of branding in economic development during an upcoming event in Grand Junction. Aaron Kennedy is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Grand Junction Economic Partnership […]
Lodging tax collections in Grand Junction have increased for a second straight month as the gap narrows between total collections so far this year and last year. According to the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau report for August, $137,364 in lodging taxes were collected. That number was 8.3 percent higher than what was reported […]
Phil Castle,The Business Times Sales tax collections continue to rise in Mesa County, buoyed in part by increased spending for building materials, automobiles and restaurant meals. It remains to be seen whether collections will rebound enough in 2013 to match those in 2012, but the trend is headed upward. “We seem to be moving in […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A total of $500,000 in grant funding has substantially increased the amount of financing available through a business loan fund in Mesa County. “It’s a big deal to us,” said Dean DiDario, who for 17 years has served as director of the Business Loan Fund of Mesa County. Mesa County […]
A newly formed organization has launched an educational initiative offering information about what the group touts as the benefits of energy development, including hydraulic fracturing. “Our core mission is to get Coloradans the facts and let them make an educated decision,” said Jon Haubert, communications director for Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development (CRED). The Denver-based […]
Employment continues to increase in the United States as unemployment rates tick down. But even as labor conditions slowly improve, the proportion of working-age Americans who have a job or are looking for one has sunk to its lowest level in 35 years. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls grew 169,000 in […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Heather McGregor can enumerate a lengthy list of benefits to fueling fleets with compressed natural gas. But she knows the single benefit likely to most interest fleet managers: lower costs. At $1 to $1.50 less than the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline or diesel, the savings associated with CNG […]