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

ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY

GENERAL INDICATORS

                                                           % - from
                                        Latest   Previous  previous
                                        period     period    period

Employment (000's) (Oct.)                4,596      4,557     +0.9%
Unemployment (000's) (Oct.)                289        275      +5.1
Help-wanted ads index (Sept.)               24         26      -7.7
Jobless-to-job ad ratio (Sept.) (1)       11.8       11.5      +2.6
Film permits (Oct.) (2)                  1,897      1,826      +3.9

Bankruptcies

  Chapter 7 (July)                       2,536      2,652      -4.4
  Chapter 11 (July)                         20         20       0.0
Exports (mils.) (Aug.) (3)             $5638.9   $5,508.3      +2.4
Imports (mils.) (Aug.)               $12,544.4  $12,565.0      -0.2

Air cargo (4)

  LAX (Sept.)                            141.4      165.1     -14.4
  Burbank (Sept.)                          2.3        3.1     -25.8

Container volume (5) (000's)

  Long Beach (Sept.)                     388.4      405.9      -0.4
  Los Angeles (Sept.)                    484.4      477.1      +1.5
Los Angeles CPI (Aug.)                   178.4      178.3      -0.1

Electricity Accounts (000's) (6)

  Residential (Aug.) (7)                1209.3     1210.0       0.0
  Commercial (Aug.)                      176.9      173.4      +2.0
  Industrial (Aug.)                       15.5       15.5       0.0


                                          Year   %+ from
                                           ago  year ago

Employment (000's) (Oct.)                4,542     +1.2%
Unemployment (000's) (Oct.)                251     +15.1
Help-wanted ads index (Sept.)               41     -41.5
Jobless-to-job ad ratio (Sept.) (1)        6.5     +81.5
Film permits (Oct.) (2)                  2,415     -21.5

Bankruptcies

  Chapter 7 (July)                       2,192     +15.7
  Chapter 11 (July)                         14     +42.9
Exports (mils.) (Aug.) (3)            $7,092.7     -20.5
Imports (mils.) (Aug.)               $13,653.8      -8.1

Air cargo (4)

  LAX (Sept.)                            184.8     -23.5
  Burbank (Sept.)                          2.7     -14.8

Container volume (5) (000's)

  Long Beach (Sept.)                     387.6      +0.2
  Los Angeles (Sept.)                    422.1     +14.8
Los Angeles CPI (Aug.)                   172.2      +3.6

Electricity Accounts (000's) (6)

  Residential (Aug.) (7)                1206.0      +0.3
  Commercial (Aug.)                      176.2      +0.4
  Industrial (Aug.)                       15.8      -2.0

REAL ESTATE

                                                           % - from
                                        Latest   Previous  previous
                                        period     period    period

Construction lending
(mils.) (July)                          $226.4     $197.2    +14.8%
Property acquisition
lending (mils.) (July)                $2,846.6   $2,893.1      -1.6
Refinance lending
(mils.) (July) (8)                    $5,338.4   $5,564.5      -4.1

Foreclosures

  Number(July)                             741        704      +5.8
  Value (mils.) (July)                  $127.7     $118.2      +7.6

Building contracts (mils.)

  Residential (Sept.)                   $156.8     $212.1     -26.1
  Nonresidential (Sept.)                $263.5     $295.5     -10.8

Building permits (mils.)

  Residential (Sept.)                   $212.1     $389.0     -45.5
  Nonresidential (Sept.)                $204.4     $363.2     -43.7
Housing start permits (Sept.)              747       1717     -56.5
Home sales (July)                        9,081      9,415    -185.5
Home prices (000's) (July)              $231.0     $233.0      -0.9
Condo sales (July)                       1,945      1,947      -0.1
Condo prices (000's) (July)             $181.0     $179.0      +1.1

Apartments (2nd qtr.)

  Gross occupancy                        97.8%      97.7%        NA
  Avg. sq. ft. rent                      $1.37      $1.35      +1.5
  Avg. monthly rent                     $1,368     $1,338      +2.2

Office vacancy rates
 (3rd qtr.) (10)

  Downtown L.A.                          17.5%      19.1%        NA
  San Fernando Valley                    12.8%      11.6%        NA
  West L.A.                              11.6%      11.2%        NA
  South Bay                              16.2%      14.2%        NA
  Countywide                             14.6%      13.7%        NA

Industrial vacancy rates (3rd qtr.)

  Downtown/Central                        2.0%       1.4%        NA
  South Bay                               4.6%       4.5%        NA
  San Gabriel Valley                      3.6%       3.8%        NA


                                          Year   %+ from
                                           ago  year ago

Construction lending
(mils.) (July)                          $204.0    +11.0%
Property acquisition
lending (mils.) (July)                 $2125.8     +33.9
Refinance lending
(mils.) (July) (8)                    $1,920.4    +178.0

Foreclosures

  Number(July)                           1,100     -32.6
  Value (mils.) (July)                  $157.4     -18.9

Building contracts (mils.)

  Residential (Sept.)                   $238.6     -34.3
  Nonresidential (Sept.)                $336.3     -21.7

Building permits (mils.)

  Residential (Sept.)                   $312.5     -32.1
  Nonresidential (Sept.)                $264.2     -22.6
Housing start permits (Sept.)             1361     -45.1
Home sales (July)                        7,307     +24.8
Home prices (000's) (July)              $203.0     +13.8
Condo sales (July)                       1,487     +30.8
Condo prices (000's) (July)             $169.0      +7.1

Apartments (2nd qtr.)

  Gross occupancy                        97.8%        NA
  Avg. sq. ft. rent                      $1.34      +2.2
  Avg. monthly rent                     $1,335      +2.5

Office vacancy rates
 (3rd qtr.) (10)

  Downtown L.A.                          22.4%        NA
  San Fernando Valley                    10.9%        NA
  West L.A.                               5.8%        NA
  South Bay                              11.8%        NA
  Countywide                             12.3%        NA

Industrial vacancy rates (3rd qtr.)

  Downtown/Central                        3.6%        NA
  South Bay                               3.3%        NA
  San Gabriel Valley                      3.6%        NA

TOURISM

                                                           % - from
                                        Latest   Previous  previous
                                        period     period    period

Hotel occupancy rate (July)              74.4%      74.4%      0.0%
Room rate (July)                       $123.86    $123.89      0.0%

Passengers

  Lax (000's) (Sept.)                  3,589.6    6,627.5     -45.8
Burbank Airport (000's) (Sept.)          251.5      446.5     -43.7



                                          Year   %+ from
                                           ago  year ago

Hotel occupancy rate (July)              81.5%     -8.7%
Room rate (July)                       $122.03     +1.5%

Passengers

  Lax (000's) (Sept.)                  5,362.6     -33.1
Burbank Airport (000's) (Sept.)          388.8     -35.3


FOOT NOTES

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

(2)Film production days.

(3)Through Los Angeles Customs District.

(4)In thousands of tons (LAX).

(5)20-foot equivalent unit.

(6)1982-1984=100.

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

(8)Apartment and residential combined.

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

(10)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 ad index);
Entertainment Industry Development Corporation Los Angeles Firm 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-Pasadena 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); M/PF Research Inc. (apartments); Grubb & Ellis
(office and industrial vacancy rates); PKF Consulting (hotel occupancy
rate, room rate).