Momentum from a decade of strong growth in North Idaho is enabling the region to continue its rapid recovery from the pandemic-induced recession of 2020, claims Sam Wolkenhauer, Post Falls-based regional labor economist for the Idaho Department of Labor.

Tourism in the Spokane region is expected to roar back in 2022 following two muffled years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eric Sawyer, president and CEO of Spokane Sports Commission, says sports tourism in 2022 could exceed 2019 goals.

Demand for real estate in the Spokane-area market is expected to remain high in 2022, according to real estate industry leaders here. The number of single-family homes sold through this November is 1.3% ahead of sales through the first 11 months of 2020

Financial industry experts here say 2021 has been stronger than many institutions had expected, and that momentum could carry into 2022, especially if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. Steve Scranton, chief investment officer and economist at

Retail sales for Spokane County and the state of Washington soared this year, but slower growth is expected in 2022, says Patrick Jones, executive director at the Institute of Public Policy and Economic Analysis at Eastern Washington University.

It has been another financially volatile year for the health care industry in Spokane. With the discovery of the omicron variant, there are still too many unknowns to forecast what is in store for hospitals in 2022, say health care officials.

Inland Northwest employers regained the jobs they shed during the pandemic-induced recession and are likely to build upon those gains in 2022, Spokane economists say. The Spokane-Spokane Valley metropolitan area had 260,000 jobs in October, the most

Cyberattacks and data breaches likely will increase in 2022, warns Heather Stratford, CEO of Stronger International Inc. 'Cybersecurity remains one of the hottest and most important issues for any executive team to tackle in 2021, and 2022 will see

The commercial construction sector had a strong start in 2021, and the 2022 construction season will bring continued growth of warehouses, manufacturing, and distribution centers, industry observers here say. Cheryl Stewart, executive director of the

Most business sectors in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area are growing, and some are approaching recovery beyond pre-pandemic levels as we enter the new year. Job numbers in both Spokane and Kootenai counties now are exceeding pre-pandemic levels, althoug