October 2, 2018

Inland Region Stands Out In Economic Survey

Riverside County cities were included in the region that ranked No. 20 as “Best Performing” — topping SoCal neighbors!

By California News Wire Services, News Partner 

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman Chuck Washington Wednesday pointed to results of a survey showing the Inland Empire making gains in job and wage growth as an indication that the region’s “economic profile” is consistently improving.

Washington and county Economic Development Agency officials voiced elation that the Santa Monica-based Milken Institute’s “2017 Best-Performing Cities” index placed the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan statistical area at No. 20.

In the institute’s 2016 survey, the Inland Empire was at No. 44.

“County EDA and others — both public and private — have been working diligently over several years to elevate the overall economic profile of Riverside County,” Washington said. “Results like these are very gratifying and will provide the impetus to step up our efforts to an even greater degree.”

The best-performing cities index, released earlier this month, assessed how metropolitan statistical areas, which the federal government uses to measure changes in densely populated locations, are fairing in job creation and business development.

The survey credited the inland region’s housing market and industrial sector with fueling wage and job growth. The logistics segment of the regional economy has generated most of the gains since 2010, according to the institute’s findings.

Among large MSAs, the inland region stood out compared to its Southern California neighbors.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area ranked No. 61, while San Diego-Carlsbad was at No. 51, and Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine was at No. 47.

The survey can be found here: www.best-cities.org .