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In The Press

Amazon to staff up by fall of 2019: Workers to come from unemployed, employed, throughout region

"Before the 2019 holiday rush, Amazon.com Inc. hopes to have nearly all 1,500 positions filled at the massive fulfillment center under construction on the West Plains, says company spokesperson Lauren Lynch.
Amazon will begin hiring a few weeks before the facility opens next year, but Lynch says hiring will still continue once the fulfillment center has opened. Hiring plans are all preliminary, she says."
-The Journal of Business - Spokane & Kootenai Counties,  08/02/2018

Regional ‘job hub’ could supply workforce for massive warehouse planned west of Spokane

"Amazon remains mum about whether it’s behind plans for a massive warehouse facility near the Spokane International Airport. But if the distribution center is built according to specifications on file at Spokane County’s Building and Planning Department, the project would launch next year as one of the region’s largest employers. About 2,300 people would work at the 24-hour fulfillment center, with designated shifts to process incoming and outbound packages, according to information in a traffic study."
-The Spokesman-Review,  06/09/2018

Group representing community interests selects family trauma and violence as Spokane’s No. 1 priority to address

"Spokane’s priority for the next five years will be reducing family trauma and violence.
A monthslong community assessment organized by the nonprofit Priority Spokane ended Tuesday with representatives from a broad group of government, private and nonprofit organizations selecting that goal from 17 possible options."
-Spokesman Review,  03/28/2018

Spokane is Growing and Rentals Can't Keep Up

"SPOKANE, Wash. - It's happening all over the country, from New York to Los Angeles and right here in Spokane; cities are growing and the rental market can't keep up.
“Vacancy rates are historically low, there's no doubt about that," said Patrick Jones, the Executive Director of Eastern Washington University's Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis.
How bad is it? Almost 99 percent of one bedroom apartments in Spokane are rented and two bedroom apartments are 97 percent full, according to Eastern Washington University's Spokane Community Indicators Initiative."
-KXLY,  12/11/2017

Why attend college? by Mary Cullinan

"Sometimes, when people learn that I’m a university president, they tell me that college is irrelevant for success. Mark Zuckerberg didn’t graduate from college, they inform me. Neither did Ellen DeGeneres. Neither did John Lennon.
Other people tell me how much our society needs more roofers and electricians: “Do you know how much I had to pay an electrician last week?”
And, of course, yet others inform me (mistakenly, as it happens) how much more plumbers earn than philosophy graduates.
Now, as high school students are touring campuses, filling out applications and financial aid forms and thinking about what to do next fall, many families are having conversations about the value of college. Is college worth the cost? Would it be better to start working right away? Would it make more sense to come back to school in a few years? "
-Spokesman Review,  11/25/2017

Spokane County nears half a million residents

"For the first time in its history, Spokane County sits on the verge of surpassing 500,000 residents, says a recent report released from the Washington state Office of Financial Management, based in Olympia.
As of April 1, OFM says, 499,800 people lived in Spokane County, which marks a 1.5-percent increase from the prior-year figure of 492,530.
Patrick Jones, executive director of Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis, says the county’s 12-month population increase marks its highest growth rate since 2007."
-The Journal of Business - Spokane & Kootenai Counties,  08/03/2017

High-End Apartments Ready in South Perry

"The South Perry district in Spokane’s East Central neighborhood continues its ascent with the opening of high-end apartments that its developers promise to be among the “most luxurious” in town.
The Scott Residences, at 712 S. Scott St., is a cubist, three-story complex on a rocky outcropping within walking distance of the shops and restaurants on South Perry. The two-bedroom apartments are 1,050 square feet with monthly rents that range from $1,400 to $1,650 a month. Each unit has a garage and a dedicated parking space."
-The Spokesman-Review,  07/19/2017

Experts say Spokane Likely is Part of Economic Boom Raising Incomes

"If your wallet seemed a little fuller last year or your paycheck stretched a little farther, you’re not alone. The average American household income jumped 5.2 percent between 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday. While comparable figures aren’t available for states or cities yet, area economists said they won’t be surprised if a bump occurred in Washington and Spokane."
-Spokesman Review,  09/14/2016

Median Income Growth Rate in Spokane County Topped State, U.S. Last Year

"Household median income in Spokane County rose at a higher rate in 2014 than statewide or national rates for such growth, although the county still lags behind both in other income and wage measures, says Patrick Jones, executive director of Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis. "
-The Journal of Business - Spokane & Kootenai Counties,  10/08/2015

Banner Year for Approved Patents

"For the first time in more than a decade, Spokane County inventors landed more than 100 patents in a single year last year. At the same time, the past decade shows that Spokane's rate of patent success is flat and falling behind the statewide rate."
-The Spokesman Review,  06/01/2011