A monthly measure of consumer confidence has dropped — along with expectations for improving business and labor conditions. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) retreated six points to 65.1 in December. While a component of the index tracking consumer assessments of current conditions rose more than five points, a component tracking […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County has increased even as payrolls and the overall labor force have decreased. Employers seem a little more hesitant to hire and some of those looking for work have given up on job hunts for now, said Suzie Miller, business services manager at the […]
The following is a paid advertiser contribution to The Business Times BY CRAIG A. SEVERANCE, CPA For quite some time we have heard the ancient Mayan calendar predicted the End of the World on Dec. 21st, 2012. However, if you have listened to the media lately, it seems this dire event has now been moved […]
A monthly index forecasting economic performance in the United States has edged down, signaling slowing in an already slow recovery. The Conference Board reported that its Leading Economic Index (LEI) slipped two-tenths of a percent in November to 95.8. Separate measures of current and past performance increased, however. “The indicators reflect an economy that remains […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times When Jon Maraschin envisions what the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction might look like 25 years from now, he talks about the possibilities for a research park or perhaps additional facilities in nearby communities. That’s not to mention the addition of a space port, he jokes. But what Maraschin […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A preliminary version of a plan that will guide the management of nearly 1 million acres of federal land in Mesa County is expected to soon be ready for public review. Meanwhile, though, work continues on a separate environmental analysis of a proposed coal mine north of Mack. A 90-day […]
Nearly $158 million has been distributed to Colorado as part of revenues collected from energy and mineral production on federal lands during the 2012 fiscal year. A total of more than $2.1 billion was distributed to 36 states as their share of revenues collected from oil, natural gas and mineral production on federal lands within […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A Palisade woman hopes to bring to market a product she long needed when she was raising and showing horses: a device that makes it easier to feed livestock. Mary Leonard has dubbed her invention the Cranky Feeder. A metal bin holds up to 100 pounds of so-called sweet feeds. […]
Colorado continues to rank among the top 10 entrepreneur-friendly states in an annual analysis of tax, regulatory and spending policies. Colorado remains ninth overall in the 2012 U.S. Business Policy Index compiled by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, a small business advocacy and research group based in Washington, D.C. The index offers a state-by-state […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Marcia Arnhold can count more than 2 million reasons she feels more confident about her projections for sales tax collections in Mesa County. In fact, the county reported collecting a total of $2.14 million in sales taxes for its capital improvement and general funds in November. That number represents a […]