GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
The following building permits were recently issued:
- Saint Francis Medical Center, 2620 West Faidley Avenue, Subway/temporary wall, $30,000
- H&H Distributing, 4221Juergen Road, entry vestibule on patio walk door, $16,000
- Highway Motels of Nebraska (Holiday Inn Express), 3404 West Faidley Avenue, interior ceiling replacement and roof work above pool area, $29,000
FLY GRAND ISLAND
From January 1 to July 31, we have had nearly 35,000 enplanements at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport. This is a 7% increase over this same time period last year. July’s enplanements were 5,197, up 17% from July 2013 (4,444).
EMPLOYMENT
The labor force for the Grand Island MC (Hall, Howard & Merrick Counties) totaled 43,418 in July, up 1,238 people from June. Of this number, 2,528 were unemployed for an unemployment rate of 5.8%. This is up from 3.5% in June. Significant decreases were seen in services, as well as government. Two manufacturing companies were closed for annual maintenance during a portion of July; this contributed to the increased unemployment rate.
The Nebraska State Fair begins on August 22 for 11 days. Over 300,000 visitors are expected.