Bankruptcy filings fell again in Eastern Washington and North Idaho last year, marking the third year in a row that they've declined. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Eastern District of Washington reported 5,057 cases filed in 2013, down 7 percent from

Health care, manufacturing, tourism, and real estate are among current growth industries in Kootenai County that are expected to continue to improve in the new year, sources in North Idaho say. Alivia Metts, Post Falls-based regional labor economist for

The wood products sector is expecting continued, steady improvement next year, largely due to anticipated ongoing recovery in the U.S. housing market, industry observers say. Shawn Church, editor of Eugene, Ore.-based Random Lengths, a publication that t

Following an upswing in building activity here in 2013, some construction industry observers are optimistic that forward momentum will carry through the coming year. Jan Quintrall, director of business and development services for the city of Spokane, sa

In some sectors of the Inland Northwest economy, activity levels are returning to prerecession levels, welcome news that comes none too soon for economic observers. In overall employment, Spokane-area economists are expecting job growth next year, though

Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC, a growing Coeur d'Alene-based wealth-management company, has acquired two other financial adviser offices and plans to construct a new building in the Riverstone development that will have three times the office spa