Hart Hodges

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Low Canadian dollar forces closure of the only grocery store in Sumas

A longtime retail landmark is going out of business this week, marking another closure among food markets in eastern Whatcom County.

Cross-border traffic remains strong. Nearly 3.6 million people have crossed southbound…

2017-05-24
Optimism, but also many ‘what-ifs’ in latest economic outlook

Hart Hodges expects between 2 and 2.5 percent job growth in Whatcom and Skagit counties next year. That’s good, but it won’t feel as good compared to the early 2000s because Seattle’s job and wage growth is expected to be even bigger.

One trend that is expected to…

2016-12-08
Whatcom income grows, but how does it compare to other counties?

While the 2016 numbers won’t be available for another 12 months, there is an expectation that income growth will be better than 2015.

“We’ve seen more employment in construction and some areas where wages are relatively high,” said Hart Hodges, a director…

2016-12-05
Was Whatcom’s economy booming in 2015?

Whatcom County experienced a big jump in production last year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a banner year for the local economy.

Much of Whatcom’s year-over-year growth took place in the nondurable goods category –…

2016-09-23
More people are making the move to Whatcom County

People are moving to Whatcom County again, amid a booming Northwest real estate market and an uptick in the national economy.

Whatcom County had an estimated population of 212,540 in April, according to data released last week by the Washington State Office of Financial Management. That’s…

2016-07-12
Whatcom retail sales hit all-time high in third quarter

Led by a jump in construction projects, Whatcom County posted its highest-ever total in retail sales during the third quarter of 2015.

Retail sales were $994.3 million between July and September last year, a 5.8 percent increase compared to a year ago, according to new data from the…

2016-02-10
Weak Canadian dollar sets new 11-year low

The tumble of oil and other commodity prices continues to weaken the Canadian dollar, which posted a new 11-year low on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

The Canadian dollar finished the trading day at 73.6 cents compared to the U.S. dollar, its lowest level since June 2004. With oil prices bouncing…

2015-12-09
Whatcom personal income rose 3.2 percent in 2014

Personal income was on the rise last year for Whatcom residents, but at a slower rate than most of the other counties in the state.

The per capita personal income average in Whatcom County was $40,840 in 2014, a 3.2 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to a new report…

2015-11-20
Whatcom Economy: Job estimate studies can be useful

We at the Center for Economic and Business Research get asked frequently to prepare economic impact studies.

We inevitably ask ourselves whether the resulting job estimates are useful (should anyone care about the job estimates?) and whether they tend to be accurate. We think the answer…

2015-09-28
Haggen a harsh lesson in expanding too quickly

A year ago, Haggen was an 18-store grocer virtually unknown outside of Western Washington and Oregon.

Today, after a botched expansion that added 146 former Albertsons and Safeway stores in five states, the Bellingham company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. It has sued…

2015-09-25
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