Econowatch L.A. County. (Investments & Finance).

ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY

GENERAL INDICATORS

                                                           % - from
                                        Latest   Previous  previous
                                        period     period    period

Employment (000's) (Oct.) (1)            4,603      4,551     +1.1%
Unemployment (000's) (Oct.)                297        317     -6.3
Help-wanted ads index (Sept.)               21         20     +5.0
Jobless-to-job ad ratio (Sept.) (2)         46         47     -1.9
Film permits (Aug.) (3)                  2,505      2,066     21.1

Bankruptcies
Chapter 7 (Sept.)                        3,218      3,603    -11
Chapter 11 (Sept.)                          15         26    -42

Exports (mils.) (Apr.) (4)            $5,205.7   $5,752.4     -9.5
Imports (mils.) (Apr.) (4)           $12,193.9  $10,787.0    +13.0
Air cargo (5)
 LAX (Aug.)                              163.2      165.9     -1.7
Burbank (Aug)                              4.3        3.9    +10.2
Container volume (6) (000's)
 Long Beach (Aug.)                       427.2      320.1    +33.4
 Los Angeles (May.)                      536.5      531.2    +10.4
Los Angeles CPI (Apr.) (7)               179.8      178.1     +0.9
Electricity Accounts (000,s)(8)
 Residential (May)                       1,219    1,217.0     +1.1
 Commercial (May)                        174.8      177.9     -1.7
 Industrial (May)                         15.3       15.3      0


                                          Year  % + from
                                           ago  year ago

Employment (000's) (Oct.) (1)            4,604     -0.2%
Unemployment (000's) (Oct.)                302     -1.7
Help-wanted ads index (Sept.)               24    -12.5
Jobless-to-job ad ratio (Sept.) (2)         67    -31.4
Film permits (Aug.) (3)                  1,890     32.5

Bankruptcies
Chapter 7 (Sept.)                        2,790    +15
Chapter 11 (Sept.)                          13    +15

Exports (mils.) (Apr.) (4)            $5,505.1     -5.4
Imports (mils.) (Apr.) (4)           $11,645.2     +4.7
Air cargo (5)
 LAX (Aug.)                              168.4     -3.1
Burbank (Aug)                              3.1    +38.7
Container volume (6) (000's)
 Long Beach (Aug.)                       404,5     +5.3
 Los Angeles (May.)                      435.2    +23.3
Los Angeles CPI (Apr.) (7)               176.6     +1.8
Electricity Accounts (000,s)(8)
 Residential (May)                     1,210.0     +0.7
 Commercial (May)                        173.8      1
 Industrial (May)                         15.6     -1.9

REAL ESTATE

                                                 % + from
                               Latest  Previous  previous    Year
                               period    period    period    ago

Construction lending (mils.)   $322.8    $329.5      -2%     $233.1
 (Sept.)
Property acquisition lending   $3,068  $3,887.1     -21    $2,536.8
 (mils.) (9) (Sept.)
Refinance lending (mils.)     $11,093   $10,666      +4      $5,156
 (Sept.) (10)
Foreclosures
 Number (Sept.)                   437       519     -15         602
 Value (mils.) (Sept.)            $82      $102     -19        $106
Building contracts (mils.)
 Residential (Dec.)            $185.4    $146.7     +26.3    $364.6
 Nonresidential (Dec.)         $160.8    $286.4     -26.6    $331.0
Building permits (mils.)
 Residential (Sept.)           $355.7    $386.6      -8      $209.7
 Nonresidential (Sept.)        $184.7    $247.7     -25      $206.8
Housing start permits (May)     1,317     1,047     +25.7     1,527
Home sales (Aug.)               6,898     6,690      +3       7,496
Home prices (000's) (Aug.)       $285      $285      +0        $245
Condo sales (Sept.)             1,712     1,986     -13       1,642
Condo prices (000's) (Sept.)     $215      $210      +2.3      $178
Apartments (2nd qtr.)
 Gross occupancy                96.9%     96.0%        NA     97.7%
 Avg. sq. ft. rent              $1.41     $1.39      +1.4     $1.37
 Avg. monthly rent             $1,190    $1,172      +1.5    $1,130
Office vacancy rates
 (3rd qtr.) (11)
 Downtown L.A                   18.5%     18.5%        NA     17.5%
 San Fernando Valley            15.3%     15.5%        NA     12.8%
 West L.A                       15.4%     15.7%        NA     11.6%
 South Bay                      19.5%     19.4%        NA     16.2%
 Countywide                     16.5%     16.5%        NA     14.0%
Industrial vacancy rates
 (3rd qtr.) (11)
 Downtown/Central                2.7%      3.0%        NA      2.0%
 South Bay                       4.6%      3.8%        NA      4.6%
 San Gabriel Valley              2.4%      3.1%        NA      3.6%


                              % + from
                              year ago

Construction lending (mils.)  +38%
 (Sept.)
Property acquisition lending  +21
 (mils.) (9) (Sept.)
Refinance lending (mils.)     +115
 (Sept.) (10)
Foreclosures
 Number (Sept.)               -27
 Value (mils.) (Sept.)        -22
Building contracts (mils.)
 Residential (Dec.)           -49.2
 Nonresidential (Dec.)        -51.4
Building permits (mils.)
 Residential (Sept.)          +70
 Nonresidential (Sept.)       -11
Housing start permits (May)   -13.8
Home sales (Aug.)              -8
Home prices (000's) (Aug.)    +16
Condo sales (Sept.)            +4.2
Condo prices (000's) (Sept.)  +20
Apartments (2nd qtr.)
 Gross occupancy                NA
 Avg. sq. ft. rent             +2.9
 Avg. monthly rent             +5.3
Office vacancy rates
 (3rd qtr.) (11)
 Downtown L.A                   NA
 San Fernando Valley            NA
 West L.A                       NA
 South Bay                      NA
 Countywide                     NA
Industrial vacancy rates
 (3rd qtr.) (11)
 Downtown/Central               NA
 South Bay                      NA
 San Gabriel Valley             NA

TOURISM

                                                   % + from
                                 Latest  Previous  previous   Year
                                  month     month     month    ago

Hotel occupancy rate (Aug.)       75.2%     70.0%       7.4    79.3%
Room rate (Aug.)                $112.28   $114.03     -1.6%  $118.88
Passengers
 LAX (000's) (Aug.)               5,658     5,386      +5.0    6,624
Burbank Airport (000's) (Aug.)    444.7     390.5       1.4    446.5


                                % + from
                                year ago

Hotel occupancy rate (Aug.)        -5.2%
Room rate (Aug.)                   -5.6%
Passengers
 LAX (000's) (Aug.)                -14.6
Burbank Airport (000's) (Aug.)       0.5

FOOTNOTES

(1)Not seasonally adjusted.

(2)Thousands of jobless to index point of job ads.

(3)Film production days

(4)Through Los Angeles Customs District.

(5)In thousands of tons.

(6)20-foot equivalent unit.

(7)1982-1984=100.

(8)San Fernando Valley and metropolitan L.A. combined

(9)Apartment and residential combined

(10)Includes refinancigs, second mortgages and equity mortgages

(11)Based on a survey by Grubb & Ellis Co. Excludes available sublease
space NA means not applicable

BOLDFACE INDICATES UPDATED FIGURES

Sources: California State Employment Development Department (employment
figures); The Conference Board, N.Y. (help-wanted an index);
Entertainment Industry Development Corporation Los Angeles Film Office
(film permits); U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of Calif., Los
Angels (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-Pasadena Airport Authority (Burbank passenger traffic
and air cargo); Bureau of Labor Statistic 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).