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Revenue growth expectations fell from 5.4% last quarter to 3.1% this quarter, and earnings growth expectations fell from 10.6% to 6.5%. Both metrics now sit at their lowest levels in the five-year history of this survey (on a country basis, expectations for both Canada and the US are at their survey lows). . . Salaries/wages are expected to rise 2.9% over the next year, with Financial Services highest at 3.6% and all other industries 2% or above. Nearly two-thirds of CFOs cite rising pay for highly-skilled staff. Just under half expect gains at managerial-levels, and 44% expect gains for lower-skilled staff. The US is highest for all levels.

The goal of the Fresno-based AgPlus Consortium, according to their application to participate in the initiative, is “to advance the region’s agriculture-related manufacturing economy, targeting industries in the food and beverage manufacturing sector whereby raw agricultural goods are transformed into value-added products by core manufacturing activities.”

The state’s exports of goods to foreign markets in totaled $14.13 billion in the latest numbers, down 0.7% from the $14.23 billion recorded in May 2014. By way of comparison, total U.S. exports of goods saw a 7.2% decline in the same period, while exports from Texas shrank by a full 12.0%.

The point is not that everything in the U.S. labor market is hunky-dory. But Mr. Rose’s research has two key takeaways: First, not all workers are doing as badly as is often presumed. Second, if one agrees with the Fed’s position that the PCE price index is the best inflation measure to use, then workers haven’t done nearly so bad.

The slight pullback in hiring during the first quarter from its exceedingly strong pace late last year dropped the 12-month pace of job gains to 2.94 million, a solid number but nevertheless the lowest annual figure since November.

U.S. employers added 223,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.3% from May’s 5.5%, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a gain of 233,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.4%.

About 60% of the 103,117 California applicants were offered a spot on at least one of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses, according to university figures released Thursday. That appears to be a record low acceptance rate, down from about 63% of the 99,955 applicants last year, and about 79% in 1999, the oldest available systemwide figures.

California reported an increase in new claims of 2,185. The state did not offer a reason for the change.

“Small businesses took a breather from hiring last month after a string of five solid, positive months,” said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg. “Growth in the first few months of the year was lousy and big firms are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, layoffs are being announced and profits are fading.”

The U.S. job market sits at a crossroads six years into a fitful economic expansion: Hiring is strong, but weak wage growth has failed to pull millions of would-be workers off the sidelines while prompting others to drop out of the labor force.

The winners grew from 718,000 to 1,102,000 jobs, or up 54%, but this is dwarfed by the colossal loss of 4.1 million out of 6.7 million jobs, a loss of 61% in manufacturing jobs.  The losers are somewhat like set 2, just not quite so extreme. Included are the two counties which lost the most—Cook (Chicago) and Los Angeles-  650,000 and 500,000! 

Relocation plans are up slightly on a year-over-year basis. Thirty percent of the Corporate Survey respondents plan to relocate a domestic facility over the next three years (figure 26). Among the reasons cited for relocation are high taxes (44 percent) and excessive government regulations (29 percent), as well as labor availability (26 percent) and labor costs (24 percent).

Area Development analyzed economic and workforce data for 373 MSAs to determine which U.S. cities are creating jobs and nurturing sustainable economic development. The results of the Leading Locations 2015 study clearly reflect the strength of the western half of the United States: eight of the top-10 MSAs are in the West — three in Colorado, two in California, two in Texas, and one in Washington State.

For several weeks, the groups have complained City Hall isn’t focusing enough on job growth with critics contending Garcetti’s economic team, led by longtime staffer Kelli Bernard, has failed to recruit business or cut red tape for existing companies.

For several weeks, the groups have complained City Hall isn’t focusing enough on job growth with critics contending Garcetti’s economic team, led by longtime staffer Kelli Bernard, has failed to recruit business or cut red tape for existing companies.