PACIFIC

Nov. 1, 2003
The tech-oriented economies in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle are still crawling out from beneath the crash. San Francisco and the Bay area were

The tech-oriented economies in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle are still crawling out from beneath the crash. San Francisco and the Bay area were hit worst, losing 340,000 jobs, with 44 percent of those jobs in the tech area. Portland lost 53,000 jobs and Seattle lost 79,000 jobs, with IT layoffs in both markets accounting for over 20 percent of the lost jobs. Seattle also suffered from layoffs at Boeing. Because of its more diverse economy, Los Angeles weathered the recession better than other areas. The City of Angels is even enjoying a rebirth of its downtown district, with the opening of the new Disney Performance Hall this year and other retail and residential underway. Housing prices are downright astronomical in parts of this region, with the No. 1 and No. 2 priciest addresses in the United States as measured by median home prices. The Bay Area recently logged in at $560,200, and Orange County median homes are priced at $471,700.

ELECTRICAL WHOLESALERS' SALES
(in millions of dollars)EW Estimates Final
1999 Final
2000 Final
2001 Final
2002 Forecast
2003 Forecast
2004 Pacific 12,733.2 14,131.5 14,208.8 14,288.8 14,656.2 15,071.7 Alaska 119.0 132.1 132.8 133.5 137.0 140.8 California 10,789.4 11,974.2 12,039.8 12,107.5 12,418.9 12,770.9 Hawaii 147.7 163.9 164.8 165.7 170.0 174.8 Oregon 775.9 861.1 865.9 870.7 893.1 918.4 Washington 901.2 1,000.2 1,005.6 1,011.3 1,037.3 1,066.7 EMPLOYMENT STATISTICSActualin thousands EC M C G Pacific 124,287^ 2,086.3 10,083.2 3,288.6 Alaska 1,950 17.9 144.5 78.8 Anchorage MSA 1,284 2.0 78.0 29.0 California 93,176 1,586.9 7,500.7 2,347.6 Bakersfield MSA 1,444 11.0 93.5 51.5 Fresno MSA 1,427 32.1 149.0 77.6 Los Angeles-Long Beach PMSA 20,754 503.6 2,015.3 581.7 Modesto MSA 1,058* 24.7 75.1 23.9 Oakland PMSA 8,144 98.4 532.1 174.3 Orange County PMSA 9,850 182.5 800.5 149.7 Riverside-San Bernardino PMSA 9,783 115.1 507.6 205.4 Sacramento PMSA 6,088 37.7 370.9 191.2 Salinas-Seaside-Monterey MSA 608 8.2 70.9 30.5 San Diego MSA 7,598 108.7 667.4 208.4 San Francisco PMSA 5,844* 47.9 585.0 128.1 San Jose PMSA 7,647 184.8 438.2 94.4 Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc MSA 808 12.6 89.9 34.1 Santa Rosa-Petaluma PMSA 995 24.0 99.7 23.0 Stockton MSA 1,355 21.2 92.2 36.4 Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa PMSA 1,491 21.5 93.1 35.5 Ventura PMSA 950 37.2 144.9 42.4 Hawaii 2,287* 15.1 328.4 113.8 Honolulu MSA 1,744* 11.6 233.5 89.7 Oregon 9,241 199.1 794.1 246.1 Eugene-Springfield MSA 734 18.6 72.6 23.6 Medford MSA 437 7.0 42.9 9.5 Portland PMSA 6,052 118.2 477.6 118.1 Salem PMSA 665 14.8 65.0 36.1 Washington 17,633 267.3 1,315.5 502.3 Seattle PMSA 7,856 151.4 676.1 195.8 Spokane MSA 1,694* 16.6 105.9 31.0 Tacoma PMSA 2,495 18.7 126.3 50.5 NA — Not available
MSA — Metropolitan Statistical Area
PMSA — Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area
CMSA — Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area
^ — This regional electrical contractor employment number utilizes both 2002 and 2003 employment figures. For directional purposes only.
EC — Electrical contractor employees for March 2003. Actual numbers.
* — Electrical contractor employees for March 2002. Actual numbers.
M — Manufacturing employees for July 2003. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
C — Commercial account employees (professional and business services, retail trade, financial activities, educational and health services, and other services) for July 2003. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
G — Government employees for July 2003. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics