By Mark Schniepp
June 2016

Interest Rates

They were supposed to go higher in 2016—not sharply higher but noticeably higher nonetheless.

As you may recall, the Fed raised the federal funds and discount rates last December. This was the first such lift in rates since 2006. The conventional wisdom based on their remarks was that rates would be raised in a gradual fashion throughout 2016 and 2017.

But worries about the slowdown in China spooked the stock market at the beginning of the year and the Dow tumbled 1,900 points during the first 3 weeks of January. The U.S. manufacturing sector was sliding and durable goods orders were shaky. So the Fed held off raising rates in March. It’s now June and they meet on the 15^th. Another rate hike is now called for but wait, the employment report for May that just came out last Friday was a huge downer. Is that going to dash (postpone) another opportunity to push rates higher?

Perhaps…. or perhaps not. With the 10 year Treasury Bond yield falling to 1.64 percent on June 10, just a few days before the Fed meets, bond traders certainly don’t think the Fed will make another move. And one of the continued reasons cited is that as we get closer to the election this year, policy moves by the Fed will be interpreted as political, and I think they’d like to avoid that. But next week is far enough away from November and that’s why it’s a good option.

The Actual Rate Hike Itself Doesn’t Matter but Rates Need to be Raised

But it really doesn’t matter because another ¼ point hike in rates won’t impact much of anything. As the Fed has announced, a quarter point increase would be negligible but is a sensible first step to ensure the Fed stays ahead of inflation. Inflation remains on the radar screen and the Fed risks roiling world markets and pushing up the value of the dollar.

With the economy on the verge of full employment, there is growing evidence of wage and salary inflation, and that will translate into higher general price inflation than what we observe today.

With oil prices rising again, you probably are noticing slightly higher gasoline prices every week. There’s also a likelihood that your healthcare premiums will rise this year or next. And housing costs are clearly moving higher, for home buyers and for renters.

Higher expected inflation should push all market rates higher this year, unless those expectations are dashed because of offsets, such as a slower growing economy either here or abroad from our dominant trading partners.

Our forecast of inflation for 2016 is higher, and higher still in 2017. All the more reason why rate hikes are necessary, let alone warranted. The uncertain outlook for global growth should not stand in the way of the Fed resuming its path toward normalization of rates next week.

What is the Forecast for Rates Over the Next 18 Months?

Our forecast 18 months ago was for much higher rates today. But Europe got in the way, and then China. Now it’s the employment report, the presidential election, or whatever….

We are still sticking to a higher forecast of rates because the Fed wants to raise rates, the Fed needs to raise rates, and the market will push rates higher as inflation becomes more apparent.

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Upcoming Event

Entrepreneur Economic Forecast Conference / Los Angeles and Ventura Counties
September 8, 2016
Westlake Hyatt
7:30 am to 10:45 am

Speaker topics will include:

How long can the current expansion last?
What about interest rates and inflation?
The 2016 El Nino fizzled; can we tolerate another year of drought?
What are the recession risks going into 2017?
Is Ventura County still lagging its peers?
Has commercial real estate peaked?

Online registration will be available July 1st

by Mark Schniepp
May 2016

Housing Market Update

Home prices continue to rise this year, especially in the California coastal markets. Home sales are running at a similar pace as last year—not too hot and not too cold.

There is less inventory everywhere, and this includes new housing along with existing. The average number of years sellers owned their home before selling jumped to 10 in 2015—the longest period ever recorded from an annual survey that began 30 years ago.

Low housing inventory is the biggest concern among California realtors, followed by housing affordability.

There are more home buying age people than ever before, and most of them are employed and their wages or salaries are finally rising. Consequently, the labor market is at peak condition to be generating home buyers.

I have addressed the Millennials many times in these monthly reports. But let me reiterate what we are seeing or not seeing regarding them and the housing market:

The percentage of first time home buyers has slipped to the lowest level since 1987 (28 years ago).

Home ownership for persons aged 35 and under is now at 34 percent, the lowest rate on record. Millennials clearly have decided that ownership housing is not yet for them.

And that’s because of the onerous student debt burden they carry, along with rising apartment rents which make saving for a down payment extremely difficult. And a larger downpayment is needed because housing values are at their highest levels since 2009.

Mortgage rates are still extremely low–like routinely under 4.0 percent for fixed rate loans—and more lenders are easing loan criteria.

However, these conditions are not necessarily producing a surge in demand for homes because the Millennial generation is not seeking ownership housing like past generations did at their age.

Consequently, if you suspect a housing market that is not quite as vibrant as you’d like it to be or as it might have been in recent years, that’s because there has been little improvement in the rate of sales, or the growth of inventory to sell.

Higher end properties are not being purchased as much this year as last. That may involve the stock market, which has moved upward since January 2016, but has made no net improvement over the last 12 months, or since May of 2015.

Is the Market at the Top Yet, for this Economic Cycle?

I don’t believe there has been any top in the real estate market yet. At least not regarding transactions. Home prices should continue to move higher, albeit at a slower pace than what we’ve observed since 2012. Low inventory because homeowners are not selling, and low demand from the Millennial generation make this real estate market very different from past ones.

It appears that for the short term, more of the same is the most likely direction for the housing market.

And though we said no recession this year…… we still mean it

by Mark Schniepp
April 2016

2016 Recession Update

I’m reading a lot about economic recession lately. A recession that is seemingly looming and could strike the nation THIS year. It’s become a popular internet topic in view of the Chinese stock market collapse, the negative interest rates in Europe and Japan, the UK wanting out of the European Union, and the recent slowdown in U.S. corporate profits and retail sales. We know that first quarter GDP has struggled to remain positive.

The Stock Market is Grinding its Way Back

But I’m not ready to switch to the dark side yet. Yes, there was a disturbance in the force earlier this year with our own stock market falling 1,000 points in the first two weeks of January. But all of the financial indices have been working their way back to their highest levels before the January meltdown.

The S&P 500 index is only 75 points (or 3.5 percent) from it’s all time record high.

Car Buying Still Remains Impressive

Americans are buying more cars at a near record pace. There are more vehicles on the road than ever before and traffic remains tough. The seasonally adjusted annualized pace of 17.5 million units in February was the strongest in 15 years. All the gains over the past year have been in the light truck segment thanks to persistently low gasoline prices.

New Home Sales are Clawing Their Way Upward

New-home supply reached its highest level since late 2009 in February but remains tighter than historical standards. Furthermore, the inventory-to-sales ratio held steady at 5.6 months but is still up nearly 25% over the year. This is nationwide inventory. It’s only 3.5 months in California and not generally rising.

Despite the past several months of decline, the NAHB Housing Market Index is near its highest level since 2006 and indicates that homebuilders feel confident about future construction activity. Sure enough, housing starts increased 5.2 percent between January and February and are 31% higher than in February 2015.

The Labor Market Continues to Improve at a Steady Pace

Job creation exceeded 200,000 again in March, the 6^th consecutive month that gains were above that threshold. The pace is sufficient to tighten the labor market. Consequently, worker recruitment is becoming much more difficult and average hourly earnings are rising faster. The unemployment rate is 5.0 percent.

Employment growth is clocking in at a healthy pace, and wage growth has started to accelerate, providing more incentive to potential homebuyers still waiting on the sidelines. In addition, despite expected tighter monetary policy over the next few years, mortgage rates remain at rock bottom, and this should encourage greater housing demand over time.

Manufacturing Rising Again

It seems that the U.S. industrial sector is showing clearer signs of a rebound. The manufacturing index, which has largely been in decline since last July, posted two consecutive months of expansion in February and March of this year. New orders for goods rose sharply in March, recording the largest monthly gain since 2009.

No Recession

We are just about at the 7 year anniversary of the end of the Great Recession. By mid-summer we will be in the 8^th year of an economic recovery/expansion. And while the up part of the business cycle does not normally last more than 8 or 9 years, we might actually be able to extend growth out for an indefinite period. After all, the first 3 or 4 years of the economic recovery were so weak that few people were convinced that the recession had ended. So one might argue that we are “owed” a few more years of positive economic growth.

A higher stock market leads to more spending by consumers because of the wealth effect. Retail sales, which have been dragged lower in recent months by falling gasoline prices, should move higher going forward, especially as the U.S. economy approaches full employment and average earnings move higher.

While the risk of recession has increased from 15 percent in March of 2015 to 21 percent in February of 2016, that’s still a relatively low probability that the U.S. economy will fall into recession in six months.

So plan accordingly for another year of growth. Plan also for slightly higher interest rates, inflation, and difficulty hiring more workers. Barring a calamitous event, the demand for your product or service should not be impacted much by the general economic mood in 2016, except perhaps to the upside.

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Upcoming Economic Forecast Conference

Orange County Economic Outlook 2016
In Partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast
April 28, 2016
Irvine, CA
Register Now

by Mark Schniepp
March 2016

There are many forms of growth controls in place in California counties, particularly along the coast. And there are many shapes and sizes of these controls but all have the expressed or unexpressed purpose of restricting population growth and urban sprawl to prevent a future for a region that includes more traffic and the loss of open space.

Examples of growth controls include containing development within specified urban boundaries, building permit restrictions, development impact fees, infrastructure requirements, MS4 regulations, and mandating inclusionary housing.

While the latter requirement might not overtly limit growth, it often reduces the density of housing and it leads to higher home prices on market rate housing which effectively limits the demand for housing.

These are typically the symptomatic costs of growth controls:

Higher housing prices and higher rents. Controls limit housing, but they do not (and cannot) deny new populations from moving into the controlled region. Demand for housing often exceeds supply and prices tend to rise faster in controlled regions as opposed to regions without controls. Certainly enough, the median price of homes is rising faster in the San Francisco Bay Area and Coastal Southern California than in the Inland Empire or Central Valley.

It’s a paradox, but traffic congestion, energy consumption and air pollution frequently increase in areas with growth controls. Why? Because commuting patterns of workers are inefficiently altered when firms in the controlled region need workers but there is an absence of housing. Commuters, forced by housing prices and the lack of supply to live far from where they work, clog California highways and choke side streets during peak drive times to work.

An exodus of big employers. Almost every business and government agency that remains in the controlled region struggles with recruiting and retaining workers who cannot afford to live nearby. Firms end up defecting from the region or downsizing and opening operations in uncontrolled areas where access to a larger labor force (and more available and affordable housing) is less challenging.

Altered communities. Poorer families are often forced to double- and triple-up in rental housing. Unable to buy homes, many middle-class families with children move away. We have observed this particularly disturbing phenomenon occur in Southern Santa Barbara County and Ventura County.

Other adjacent regions are impacted. Firms move to adjacent areas and workers move to adjacent areas where housing is more available and more affordable. The result is a downsizing economy in the controlled area, leading to lower economic growth, less prosperity, fewer jobs and high home prices. There will be fewer services offered to the resident population. This might be fine for the retired couple or individual, but it’s problematic for working households.

These are the unintended consequences of growth policies. The intended consequences of growth controls: less population, less housing, and more open space are realized, but at a cost that includes fewer jobs, a smaller middle class, expensive housing, fewer services, and more traffic on existing highways and roads.

Growth controls (SOAR) have been in effect for nearly 20 years in Ventura County and the number of vehicles traveling on interstate 101 and highway 23 are at record levels. The number of commuters to and from Ventura County to Los Angeles County is at record levels. The average commute time of workers in Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, and Simi Valley is above the state and federal average commute time and akin to workers who reside in the San Fernando Valley.

__________________________________

Upcoming Economic Forecast Conference

Orange County Economic Outlook 2016
In Partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast
April 28, 2016
Irvine, CA
Register Now

by Mark Schniepp
February 2016

Sorting Out the Stock Market Collapse . . .

OK, the market is now down 10 percent from where it stood at the turn of the year. This is a repeat of what happened in August. Why? Is this the early warning signs of the next recession?

No.

The stock market is responding to the other collapse, like oil prices. And this is largely due to the slowing economy of China. But there’s more to it than just that.

Crude Oil Supply and Demand Fundamentals

Today it costs under $30 to buy a barrel of oil—the lowest level in 12 years. As recent as June 2014, the price of a barrel of oil was $108. What has caused oil prices to plummet?

There has been steady production from the OPEC countries, increased production from the United States, and declining demand from China. Between July 2014 and July 2015, U.S. weekly production increased by over 1 million barrels of oil.

Normally, OPEC would have reduced its production quotas to push oil prices higher but throughout 2015 they did nothing and the largest producing member of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, has kept its production at late 2014 levels. The world is now at an all time record high in oil production and the price has fallen to $29.75 as of February 12, 2016.

The oil price collapse is due simply to increased supply (mostly by the U.S.) and decreased demand forces. Demand for oil globally began tapering off, driven most importantly by a slowdown in China’s economy. Until 2010, China had maintained an average growth rate of more than 10 percent annually for over 30 years. This high growth scenario started to slow in 2010. Currently (2016) the current GDP growth target set out by Chinese authorities is 7 percent, and many have questioned how much further growth could slow in the second largest economy in the world.

So why are low oil prices affecting the financial markets? Cheap oil means cheap gasoline. So shouldn’t that generally help consumer spending and the domestic economy?

Ultimately, it will. But in the short term the decline in oil is damaging oil related industry stock prices. You see, oil prices and stock prices are positively correlated.

Furthermore, lower oil prices also cancel plans for capital spending. It is estimated that a decline in energy-related investment such as new drilling equipment has more of an impact than consumer savings. And equity prices usually rise with increased business spending, offsetting the positive effects on savings for the consumer.

Finally, though only 6 percent of the S&P 500 companies are directly exposed to energy, other sectors including industrials also affect the index, and they are impacted by oil prices.

The average price in California is now down to $2.41 per gallon. However, the average for the entire nation is $1.70. In Kansas City, it’s $1.32. Prices are down 24 cents from last month and 55 cents from a year ago.

China

The Chinese stock market is now in a bear market for the second time in 7 months. And U.S. investors are interpreting China’s problems as poison for the U.S. Why?

Well, because China has been an important source of global growth with significant spending power. China does carry some clout, being the second-largest economy in the world.

Second, there is an important psychological effect in the markets, especially as China is a big purchaser of U.S. treasuries and a big force in global currency markets.

Furthermore, a lack of clarity on the true health of China’s economy has added to recent market volatility. Investors don’t really know how strong or weak the underlying Chinese economy is. And a weaker yuan heightens worries that the slowdown in China’s economy is deeper than the official data suggests.

The underlying Chinese economy may not be robust enough to reach the 7 percent target set by the government for 2016. Growth is already down from 10 the percent growth reached over the last decade.

Meanwhile, just as China had been devaluing the yuan, it is now selling U.S. Treasuries to prop up its currency, which could put upward pressure on U.S. interest rates.

Uncertainty Over the Fed

I’ll address this more next time, but for now, what the Fed will do is an issue for the stock market because investors are concerned that the U.S. economy is not yet ready for additional rate increases throughout 2016.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen did emphasize during the December press conference that the committee’s decision will remain dependent on incoming economic data going forward. While some data has continued to improve (like the unemployment rate) there is worry about the domestic manufacturing sector, how long technology can keep fueling the U.S. economy, and the international setting including Europe and China.

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Upcoming Economic Forecast Conference

Our next conference is scheduled for March 10, 2016 in Santa Clarita, California. We are speaking at the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation’s annual Economic Forecast. The venue is the Hyatt Valencia. The time is 2 PM to 5 PM.

Register Now

by Mark Schniepp
January 2016

Source: LA Times, December 27, 2015, page C1

What you should know about 2016

Because world economic events have so much more influence on our own domestic growth, job creation, and the rise in income, monitoring the outlook for the principal economies in the world is a critical factor in predicting the probable performance of the U.S. economy in 2016.

The Panama Canal will be wider when a third set of locks opens in April. Ships twice the size of what traverse the canal today will be accommodated. U.S. Ports are now gearing up for the traffic. Will there be enough global demand to fill the canal this year?

Keep in mind that the presidential election occurs on November 8, 2016. There are also major elections in Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and China this year.

The Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil begin on August 5^th.

The United Kingdom votes on a referendum in October on whether to remain in the European Union. Leaving would free the U.K. to purse it’s own trade deals with faster growing economies than the sluggish European economy presently. It would also impose tariffs on 90 percent of its exports to the existing European Union. Staying gives the U.K. open access to the broader European market of 500 million people.

World economic growth is projected to be 3.5 percent in 2016, an improvement from the 3.0 percent recorded in 2015.^[1] Other sources put world economic growth at 2.7 percent for 2016, stating that “2016 will be another year of repair, recovery, reform and risk for most countries.^[2]”

This latter view is supported by China’s sinking GDP growth, which will continue to decelerate. Consequently, global demand for goods and materials will remain soft. We therefore expect interest rates to remain low (despite the threat of tighter monetary policy by the Federal Reserve) along with the prices of oil and other commodities. World inflation will be less than 2.0 percent, and probably closer to one percent in Europe and Japan.

Source: Bloomberg

Bad weather is predicted around the Pacific Rim due to the strong El Nino that is present today. This could mean major disruptions from storms and floods. Major disruptions tend to produce sell-offs in world financial markets. The California coastline is also vulnerable to some degree of carnage this winter.

The U.S. economy will have very low unemployment and very low inflation in 2016. And while we have been predicting higher wage and salary growth this year, it’s not likely to accelerate beyond an average of about 3 percent.

American families have paid off debt since the Great Recession, and there is pent-up demand, particularly for housing. As millennials move out of their bedrooms at their parent’s homes, the housing market will be impacted. For now, it’s the apartment market with vacancy rates throughout the nation falling to record lows. Over the next 5 years, it will be the first time home buyer market. Interest rates will be a determining factor as to how robust the housing market will be in coming years.

Few economists expect a major slowdown in 2016, let alone a recession. There’s little reason to think the conventional wisdom is wrong this time around. The question is whether 2016 will be a true turning point in the world economy and the best year of the current economic cycle.

Risks in 2016

Most of the risks lie with the international economy, with the largest uncertainty resting on China and Europe.

For U.S. exports to contribute positively to overall domestic growth, both China and Europe need to be healthy. And for Europe to avoid risk of a further slowdown, emerging market growth needs to improve. Historically emerging market nations have been important for European exports. Weakness in these markets would produce more than proportional downside risks to the world economy.

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit, The Economist, December 30, 2015

Backed by lower oil prices, a weaker euro, and quantitative easing by the European Central Bank, Europe’s GDP growth is expected to reach 1.5 percent with inflation of around 1 percent during the year.

If European and global markets remain calm, Europe will continue its recovery. But any of a number of shocks, whether a hard landing in China, debt problems in Europe, El Nino disruptions, or terrorist disruptions, will create substantial pressure on policymakers at a time when the constraints on their ability to act are already intense.

^[1] The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and Bloomberg, November 2015.
^[2] The Economist Economic Intelligence Unit, December 30, 2015.

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Upcoming Economic Forecast Conferences in 2016

2016 Ventura County
February 5, 2016
Westlake Hyatt
Register Now

2016 Santa Clarita Valley
March 10, 2016
Valencia Hyatt
Register Now

2016 Orange County (In Partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast)
April 2016
UC Irvine

2016 San Diego County (In Partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast)
Date TBD

by Mark Schniepp
December 2015

If you’ve been loyally following these monthly newsletters, then you’re pretty much aware that the U.S. and state had another year of better–than-expected economic growth. And the financial markets held up remarkably well despite the tumultuous stock market in China, the devaluation of the Yuan, and continued sluggish growth in the European communities.

There are a number of economic indicators that impact you directly that are making your life substantially better today:

• Interest rates are at or near an all time low
• Oil prices remain low and gasoline prices are cheap, saving you a bundle every week
• Job opportunities continue to improve, especially if you have a skill or some experience
• Inflation is virtually non-existent and that’s the way it’s been for most of 2015
• Home prices continue to rise, increasing your equity and overall wealth position

There’s very little to worry about concerning the health of the economy as we close out 2015 and welcome in a new year. That said, here’s my annual review of the year.

Significant Events in 2015

A dubious play call by the Seahawks at the one yard line in the final moments of Superbowl XLVIIII resulted in a Patriot interception and victory. The final score was 28-24.

The 10 year U.S. Treasury Bond yield closed at 1.67 percent on February 2. This was the lowest level of the year and only 27 basis points from the all time record low of 1.40 percent set on July 24, 2012.

Leonard Nimoy, “Mr Spock” passed away in late February.

On April 25, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, near Kathmandu, killing more than 8,000 people and injuring 17,866.

Apple hit an all time record high in stock price and market valuation on May 17. Its current market capitalization of $654 billion is greater than the GDP of Sweden, Poland, Argentina, Norway, Iran, Thailand, Denmark, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Isreal.

David Letterman called it quits after 33 years as a late-night TV show host. His last show was on May 20.

The Dow and S&P indices reached all time record highs in mid-May.

The Nasdaq Composite index set an all time record high close on July 20. It is not far from that level today.

Domestic crude oil prices fell to $38.22 / bbl on August 24, the lowest level since January of 2009. Gasoline prices for regular grade are now well under $3/gallon for most areas of California.

The U.S. economy created 298,000 jobs in October and 211,000 jobs in November, and is now on pace to deliver more than 3 million new jobs during calendar 2015, the most since 1999.

On November 13, three teams of gun-wielding ISIS suicide bombers hit six locations around Paris, killing 130 people and wounding hundreds.

Kobe Bryant, playing in his 20^th season as a Laker, announced on November 29 that he would retire after the 2015-2016 season.

How Good a Year Was 2015?

The wealth of American households climbed to a new peak in 2015, as rising home prices and record level stock market valuations were the principal contributors.

The unemployment rate has fallen to 5.0 percent in the nation. In California, its 5.7 percent and falling. Wage and salary increases are now occurring more regularly and exceed the rate of general price inflation by a factor of 2 or 3.

Consumers are the engine of growth in the U.S. economy. It’s the same for the California economy but also toss in technology sector growth and a strong tourism sector.

Consumer spending is being directed at Costco. Costco is currently at an all time record high in stock price. Wal-Mart however recently slipped to its lowest value per share since April of 2012.

The U.S. dollar is strengthening again, meaning you should plan that trip to France or Italy soon. Since you’re fully employed and your salary is rising again, you’ll have additional disposable income to throw around Europe.

In general, momentum accelerated in 2015. For the current economic cycle, it’s been the best year to date for American households, employed Americans, retail businesses including online commerce, and the financial markets.

New Expectations for 2016

Expect more rain. The current (December) predictions still have a huge El Nino raging between January and March. Stock up on a few new umbrellas now.

Interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve are coming. If not in December than certainly in February. Rate hikes mean the economy is doing well.

It’ll be an election year. Next November, expect the lowest unemployment rate since the 2000 election.

GDP growth is forecast at between 2.5 and 3.2 percent next year, with a consensus of 2.8 percent.

U.S. economic momentum is likely to accelerate, and that raises our expectations of a sound and stable economy in 2016.

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New Publications by the California Economic Forecast

The latest edition of the Ventura County Economic Outlook is available. The 88 page publication that accompanied our update conference in September 2015 can be downloaded from our website at www.californiaforecast.com/publications.

Upcoming Economic Forecast Conferences in 2016

2016 Ventura County
February 5, 2016
Westlake Hyatt
Register Now

2016 Santa Clarita Valley
March 10, 2016
Valencia Hyatt
Register Now

2016 Orange County (In Partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast)
April 2016
UC Irvine

2016 San Diego County (In Partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast)
Date TBD

by Mark Schniepp
November 2015

How is YOUR local economy?

Comparing how the economy is growing across regions of Southern California, I noticed that there is considerable strength in the coastal areas and in the Inland Empire, although the increase jobs created has moderated over the last couple of months.

Nevertheless, unemployment rates are at full employment in Orange, San Diego, and Santa Barbara Counties, and close to full in Ventura and the Inland Empire Counties.

Northern Los Angeles County has demonstrated considerable improvement this year, mostly in the Santa Clarita Valley. And the Antelope Valley economy has evolved over the last two years with more job growth and rebounding home prices.

Ventura County Star, November 6, 2015, Page 8A

Recently, I gave a presentation at a Camarillo Chamber of Commerce meeting where I reported on the lagging progress of the Ventura County economy.

But the Ventura County economy is lagging other counties in California including Santa Barbara County. Lining up the counties in a comparison of a number of economic indicators such as office vacancy rates, job growth, new housing, new commercial and industrial investment, wage growth, home prices, and apartment vacancy rates, the conditions in Ventura County have not progressed like other areas.

Job Growth and Office Vacancy

Job growth (from September 2014 to September 2015) and the Office vacancy rate (as of September 30, 2015) by County:

So why is Ventura County lagging other counties in the key economic indicators? In part, the answer includes the regulatory environment in the County. We believe there has been a stifling of new development of housing and that has pushed home prices and average rents higher, and vacancy rates for rental housing substantially lower, limiting housing affordability and availability for prospective employers.

Housing and Traffic

High home prices and extraordinarily tight rental vacancy is a clear symptom of demand exceeding supply for housing. It’s true in many areas of California, especially along the coast and in Silicon Valley. The lack of housing has ramped up traffic problems in many areas of California.

Job growth is suffering. Commuting continues to increase. More residents of Ventura County are working in Los Angeles or Santa Barbara Counties, and this is creating more traffic and frustration all along the 101, and particularly in some of the region’s principal corridors:

Ventura to Santa Barbara
• 101 NB: Muscle Shoals to Garden Street, Santa Barbara, 7 to 9 AM

Santa Barbara to Ventura
• 101 SB: Milpas Street to Muscle Shoals, 4 to 6 PM

Santa Barbara
• 101 SB: La Cumbre Road to Downtown exits

Oxnard to Camarillo
• 101 EB: Vineyard Avenue to Carmen Drive

Thousand Oaks
• 101 NB: Westlake Blvd to the 23 freeway
• 101 EB: top of Conejo Grade to the 23 freeway
• 23 NB: 101 North to Olsen Road (PM)
• 23 SB: Olsen Road to 101 North (AM)

Home prices in Ventura County are second to Orange County in highest median value among all Southern California Counties. Rental prices are third highest, in back of Los Angeles and Orange County, but the vacancy rate for apartments is the tightest in the region (tying Santa Barbara).

The lack of housing is one of the principal problems affecting Southern Santa Barbara, Ventura, and many parts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. But what sets Ventura County apart is the relatively high rate of business downsizing and defection, combined with the absence of new business relocation there. It appears that businesses have decidedly chosen other areas to relocate to than Ventura County.

Meanwhile, job growth is humming along in the Bay Area economies, in Orange County, and Los Angeles County, including the Santa Clarita Valley region of Northern LA County. Population growth is ramping up again in the Inland Empire and in the Sacramento Valley region. More new development projects are underway or scheduled to begin in the Bay Area, in Central California, in Orange and San Diego Counties and in the Inland Empire.

We should see more new housing under construction next year and more general growth in the regional economies because of it. However, the lagging status of the Ventura County economy is likely to persist until employment growth increases and more housing projects are started and built. How will this happen? A loosening of the regulatory environment and greater economic development efforts by the cities is a first step toward creating greater vibrancy in Ventura County.

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Upcoming Conference

The Entrepreneur Economic Forecast Conference in Ventura County
February 5, 2016
Hyatt Westlake

Register Now

by Mark Schniepp
October 2015

The October Reputation

The title of this month’s newsletter is most appropriate because Octobers tend to be notorious bear months for the stock market. The “Stock Traders Almanac” has labeled October a jinx because of the frequency of market crashes that have occurred in the month. The worst October ever was in 1987, when the stock market declined more than 23 percent on Monday, the 19^th. The DJIA fell 508 points.

When the stock market crash of 1929 occurred, it took investors by surprise on October 24. Just weeks before, the market had reached a new high for the year. Nearly 25 percent of the market’s value was lost in two days.

The Panic of 1907 occurred during the last half of October when runs on banks culminated in a major sell-off on the New York Stock Exchange. By November 7, the DJIA had declined 50 percent from the previous year.

During the first 8 days of October 2008, the DJIA lost 2,380 points or 22 percent of its value. The actual decline in the market started in earnest in September of that year. September has, like October, been another especially weak month for stock market performance.

Investor emotions that turn negative when the calendar changes from summer to fall can influence stock market performance. In the fall months, after summer vacations are over and the sun sets earlier, investors get more gloomy. Consequently, any negative economic or market developments in these months can produce overreactions.

The Significance of a Decline

Consumer spending is vulnerable to swings in the stock market because stock holdings are concentrated among high-income households and these households are responsible for a disproportionate share of consumer spending.

CNN Money, August 25, 2015

The Dow eroded 11 percent between August 10 and August 25, 2015. The recent market correction was allegedly precipitated by the devaluation of the Chinese Yuan and the plunge in the Shanghai Stock Index in July and August of this year. The low point for the Dow this year occurred on August 25. It has since gained over 1,000 points and is near 16,800.

Consequently, we watch the various stock and bond markets carefully as a precursor to spending behavior in the U.S. In the event of a sharp and unexpected downturn in the market, consumer spending during the fourth quarter would likely be impacted which would slow down the growth of production, employment, income, and GDP.

Are Consumers Showing any Signs of Pull-Back?

Core retail sales growth is positive though it has been lackluster during the summer months, likely influenced by concerns about increased market volatility. However, automobile and light truck sales soared during August and September.

Existing home sales have been running strong all year and August new home sales are at their high point for the current business cycle. Mortgage rates remain at very low levels which are expected to persist for the remainder of the year.

Furthermore, e-commerce sales have strengthened this year and continue to outpace in-store retail sales by large margins.

Is Another Market Correction Imminent?

If you monitor this topic on the internet, there is no shortage of content that suggests, warns, or flatly states that the bear market has started and a decline, collapse or crash is imminent.

However, the relatively positive collection of economic indicators would imply that another correction is not necessarily imminent. There is little evidence to suggest that consumer spending behavior is being impacted by the correction to date. So I guess they don’t think so either. Corporate profit readings would suggest that the market could, fundamentally, still go higher.

The October 2015 correction probably came early this year in August and lingered into September. From its high in May of this year, the market declined a total of 14 percent. Today, it’s currently off by 10 percent. Certainly any unexpected jolt to the economy or geopolitical setting could set off another bearish reaction. Consequently, we are not ready to forecast the stock market direction for the rest of the year. But there is no imminent decline foreseen in the market from my reading of the taro cards. And I don’t care if it’s October.

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Santa Barbara Technology and Industry Association
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November 5, 2015
Radisson Hotel, Santa Maria
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By Mark Schniepp
September 2015

Approaching Full Employment

Less than two years ago the Congressional Budget Office predicted a sluggish labor market improvement in the U.S. economy with the unemployment rate making no improvement throughout calendar year 2014, forecasting an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent at year’s end.

Los Angeles Times online, February 4, 2014

Well, that forecast did not work out too well for the CBO.  The U.S. labor market created 2.6 million jobs in 2014 and the unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent at year’s end.

Now, eight months later, the economy is on pace to create 3.1 million jobs in 2015—the most since 1999—and the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.1 percent.   This rate is either at or is very close to the “full employment” level of unemployment. Modern notions peg the rate at or around 5.0 percent.  We haven’t seen an unemployment rate that low since April of 2008.

In California, the pace of job creation has been stellar, eclipsing previous years in the current economic cycle and pushing the rate of unemployment down to 6.2 percent.  For the state as an entire economic region, we are still a ways off from the full employment rate of unemployment, but the likelihood is for that threshold to be reached by the summer of 2016.

For many counties in the state, full employment has certainly been reached. Here’s the most recent list of the counties with the lowest rates of unemployment:

What is Full Employment?

Typically, it’s when employers experience difficulty filling job vacancies and they have to bid up wages or salaries to keep employees from leaving, or to recruit skilled employees from other firms or right out of college.

Nationwide, there still appears to be slack in the labor force because wages are not generally rising yet.  That’s because the “underemployment rate” is still relatively high.  The underemployment rate includes the unemployed plus those people working in part time positions that would prefer to work full time. The rate in August was 10.3 percent of the labor force—a big improvement over the peak value of 17.4 percent in 2009. Using this rate to ascertain reaching full employment, the country will arrive there by next summer, and wage growth is expected to accelerate in 2016.

Here in California, wages are already rising in the largest labor market centers, most notably, the Bay Area.  And the creation of technology jobs is the principal reason why wages are moving upward.

Since early 2014, wage/salary appreciation rates have jumped, from approximately 2.5 percent in 2012 and 2013 to over 4 percent this year in the Bay Area.  In Southern California, wage inflation moved from 1.5 percent increases per year to over 3.0 percent this year.

More wage increases are coming in California, sooner than later.  Labor shortages are occurring in construction, in K-12 education, in trucking and other transportation, some retail, and for skilled positions in healthcare and technology.

Higher wages will push the general inflation rate higher. Businesses will face higher costs which reduce profit levels and stock valuations.  Consequently, as the expansion matures and full employment is reached, we’ll have new reasons to worry about increased volatility in the stock market, and the timing of the next recession.

__________________________________

Upcoming Autumn Conference

Santa Barbara Technology and Industry Association
Economic Summit

November 5, 2015
Radisson Hotel, Santa Maria
8:00 am – 10:00 am

Register for the Event