RIVERSIDE – (INT) – A new measure of the Inland Empire’s economic recovery from the pandemic is encouraging.

The latest Inland Empire Business Activity Index issued Wednesday by UC Riverside predicts business activity across the region should reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year rising between 3% and 6%.

“The Inland Empire’s better relative performance stems both from the fact that many parts of the local economy have shed the effects of the pandemic and because the area fell into a deeper hole during the crisis than the nation overall, leaving more room for growth,” said Taner Osman, Research Manager at the Center for Economic Forecasting.

Osman notes that with a large portion of California’s population now vaccinated, the virus will not have the same impact on the economy going forward.

Story Date: October 22, 2021