Amazon is the largest property taxpayer and private employer in Seattle. Since 2000, the metro area has added nearly 100,000 new jobs, leading to an influx of high-skilled workers and a thriving tech industry. But some residents and local officials believe Amazon’s growth has been the catalyst for several problems, including affordable housing and homelessness […]
There’s a reason your Amazon orders are taking longer to arrive and retailers are charging you more for your usual selections. There’s a critical shortage of truck drivers in the US right now, and it’s only getting worse. The US was short some 36,500 drivers in 2016, according to a 2017 report by the American […]
Since October, about 89,000 workers in general merchandise stores have lost their jobs, which is more than the number of people employed in the entire US coal industry, The New York Times reported. . . The retail industry, which employs about one out of every 10 American workers, typically pays low wages but provides employment to people in every age bracket, as well as those who are low-skilled and need flexible scheduling options.
So when these workers lose their jobs, they can have a hard time finding other employment.
According to a new report from the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Business Council, exorbitant housing costs in Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the US, are inhibiting employers from attracting “high-performers,” or top talent, to their companies.
Both the formation of firms (for example, McDonald’s as a whole) and establishments (an individual McDonald’s restaurant), have dropped off precipitously since the financial crisis and remained low.
California had the fifth-highest wages in the country, with a Q2 2014 average weekly wage of $1,072. The state’s housing prices went up 8.12% between Q3 2013 and Q3 2014, the third-biggest jump in the country. The state government’s huge 2013 surplus of $32 billion was the largest of any state.
Personal income rose less than expected while personal spending fell more than expected in January.