Econowatch L.A. County.

ECONOWATCH

L.A. COUNTY

                                                       % - from
GENERAL                          Latest    Previous    previous
INDICATORS                       period      period     period

Employment (000's)
    (July) (1)                   4,708.5     4,669.7       +0.8
Unemployment
    (000's) (July) (1)             268.4       241.1      +11.3
Film Production Days
    (2nd qtr. ) (2)               13,768      14,678       -6.2
Bankruptcies
Chapter 7 (June)                   820.0       773.0       +6.0
Chapter 11 (June)                    8.0        11.0      -27.2

Trade (3)
Exports (mils.) (July)          $8,205.6    $8,564.0       -4.2
Imports (mils.) (July)         $21,611.8   $21,263.9       +1.7
Air cargo (4)
  LAX (July)                       164.3       170.0       -3.3
  Burbank (June)                     9.7        10.1       -4.0
Container volume (5) (000's)
  Long Beach (July)                647.4       662.2       -2.2
  Los Angeles (July)               716.3       716.2       +0.01
Los Angeles CPI (July)             217.5       217.3       +0.09
Electricity Accounts
    (000's) (6)
  Residential (July)             1,246.3     1,247.0       -0.06
  Commercial (July)                174.2       181.0       -3.8
  Industrial (July)                 13.3        13.6       -2.2

GENERAL                          Year      % + from
INDICATORS                        ago      year ago

Employment (000's)
    (July) (1)                   4,616.0       +2.0
Unemployment
    (000's) (July) (1)             258.1       +4.0
Film Production Days
    (2nd qtr. ) (2)               12,993       +6.0
Bankruptcies
Chapter 7 (June)                   519.0      +58.0
Chapter 11 (June)                    9.0      -11.1

Trade (3)
Exports (mils.) (July)          $7,622.7       +7.6
Imports (mils.) (July)         $20,990.9       +3.0
Air cargo (4)
  LAX (July)                       173.5       -5.3
  Burbank (June)                     8.1      +19.0
Container volume (5) (000's)
  Long Beach (July)                582.9      +11.0
  Los Angeles (July)               761.3       -5.9
Los Angeles CPI (July)             211.4       +2.9

Electricity Accounts
    (000's) (6)
  Residential (July)             1,243.1       +0.3
  Commercial (July)                178.1       -2.2
  Industrial (July)                 13.8       -3.6

                                                       % + from
                                 Latest    Previous    previous
REAL ESTATE                      period      period     period

Construction lending
    (mils.) (July)                $604.3      $743.3      -18.7
Property acquisition
    lending (mils.) (7)         $3,699.7    $4,263.4      -13.2
    (July)
Refinance lending
    (mils.) (July) (8)          $8,338.7    $9,186.7       -9.2
Foreclosures
  Number (July)                    1,237       1,183       +4.6
  Value (mils.) (July)            $505.2      $568.0      -11.1
Building contracts (mils)
  Residential (July)              $400.0      $842.5      -52.5
  Nonresidential (July)           $542.3    $1,003.6      -46.0
Building permits (mils.)
  Residential (July)              $469.5      $501.4       -6.4
  Nonresidential (July)           $258.3      $351.5      -26.5
Housing start permits (July)       1,479       1,701      -13.1
Home sales (Aug.)                  4,107       5,458      -24.8
Home prices (000's) (Aug.)        $579.0      $585.0       -1.0
Condo sales (Aug.)                 1,168       1,601      -27.0
Condo prices (000's) (Aug.)       $460.0      $450.0       +2.2
Apartments (2nd qtr.)
  Gross occupancy                  95.6%       95.9%         NA
  Avg. sq. ft. rent                $1.94       $1.90       +2.1
  Avg. monthly rent               $1,660      $1,642       +1.1
Office vacancy rates
    (2nd qtr.)
  Downtown L.A.                    13.5%       14.0%         NA
  San Fernando Valley               6.0         5.6          NA
  West L.A.                         8.6         8.4          NA
  South Bay                        13.2        12.8          NA
  Countywide                        9.5         9.5          NA
Industrial vacancy rates
    (2nd qtr.)
  Downtown/Central                  1.0%        1.2%         NA
  South Bay                         2.1         1.8          NA
  San Gabriel Valley                1.6         1.8          NA

                                 Year      % + from
REAL ESTATE                       ago      year ago

Construction lending
    (mils.) (July)                $479.0      +26.2
Property acquisition
    lending (mils.) (7)         $4,781.2      -22.6
    (July)
Refinance lending
    (mils.) (July) (8)          $9,614.8      -13.3
Foreclosures
  Number (July)                      168      636.3
  Value (mils.) (July)             $68.9      633.2
Building contracts (mils)
  Residential (July)              $347.5      +15.1
  Nonresidential (July)           $384.0      +41.2
Building permits (mils.)
  Residential (July)              $520.4       -9.8
  Nonresidential (July)           $252.5       +2.3
Housing start permits (July)       1,736      -14.8
Home sales (Aug.)                  8,246      -50.2
Home prices (000's) (Aug.)        $555.0       +5.3
Condo sales (Aug.)                 1,933      -39.6
Condo prices (000's) (Aug.)       $415.0      +10.8
Apartments (2nd qtr.)
  Gross occupancy                  95.7%         NA
  Avg. sq. ft. rent                $1.85       +4.9
  Avg. monthly rent               $1,558       +6.5
Office vacancy rates
    (2nd qtr.)
  Downtown L.A.                    14.0%         NA
  San Fernando Valley               6.1          NA
  West L.A.                         7.3          NA
  South Bay                        16.0          NA
  Countywide                       10.2          NA
Industrial vacancy rates
    (2nd qtr.)
  Downtown/Central                  1.3%         NA
  South Bay                         2.2          NA
  San Gabriel Valley                1.5          NA
                                                       % + from
                                 Latest    Previous    previous
TOURISM TOURISM                   month       month      month

Hotel occupancy rate (July)        81.2%       82.7%         NA
Room rate (July)                 $159.52     $156.68      +1.8
Passengers
  LAX (000's) (June)             5,583.0     5,258.4      +6.2
  Burbank Airport
    (000's) (June)                 536.0       514.5      +4.18

                                Year      % + from
TOURISM TOURISM                  ago      year ago

Hotel occupancy rate (July)       81.6%         NA
Room rate (July)                $145.87       +9.4
Passengers
  LAX (000's) (June)            5,510.0       +1.3
  Burbank Airport
    (000's) (June)                501.4       +7.0

FOOTNOTES

(1.) Not seasonally adjusted.

(2.) Music, television, film and commercials quarterly.

(3.) Through Los Angeles Customs District.

(4.) In thousands of tons.

(5.) 20-foot equivalent unit.

(6.) Metropolitan L.A. and San Fernando Valley

(7.) Apartment and residential combined

(8.) Includes refinancings, second mortgages and equity mortgages

BOLDFACE INDICATES UPDATED FIGURES

Sources: California State Employment Development Department
(employment figures); The Conference Board, N.Y.
(help-wanted ad index); Entertainment Industry Development
Corporation Los Angeles Film Office (film permits); U.S.
Bankruptcy Court, Central District of Calif., Los Angeles
(bankruptcies); Dun & Bradstreet (business failures); Economic
Development Corporation, Los Angeles (exports, imports); City
of Los Angeles Airport Department (LAX passenger traffic and
air cargo); Burbank-Glendale-Pasade NA Airport Authority
(Burbank passenger traffic and air cargo); Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Los Angeles (Los Angeles consumer price
index); Office of Economic Research at California State University,
Long Beach (index of leading indicators); First American Real
Estate Solutions, Anaheim (construction lending, property lending,
refinance lending, foreclosures, home sales, home prices, home
prices per square foot, condo sales, condo prices); F.W. Dodge
Division, McGraw-Hill (building contracts); Construction
Industry Research Board (housing start permits, building permits);
M/PF Research Inc. (apartments); Grubb & Ellis (office and industrial
vacancy rates); PKF Consulting (hotel occupancy rate, room rate).

--Sarah Filus