California

A steady supply of job opportunities and the growing population in the Inland Empire are supporting household formation, raising demand for housing and bolstering the performance of the area’s multifamily property market. Nearly 22,420 households were formed in the Inland Empire over the past four quarters that ended in September, while 48,500 individuals were added to the local population. By year’s end, area employers will have expanded the workforce by 2.2 percent with the addition of 30,000 positions. Hiring this year was driven by the government sector, which climbed 4 percent, or by more than 9,400 workers during the past 12 months that ended Sept. 30. The trade, transportation and utilities sectors also performed well, contributing 8,950 jobs over the same period. These strong hiring trends resulted in the unemployment rate falling 20 basis points to 6.2 percent — nearing the pre-recession five-year average of 5.7 percent — over the year-long period that ended in the third quarter of 2016. The Inland Empire’s growth and solid economic fundamentals are key factors behind the observable rise in construction activity we’ve witnessed this year. Apartment construction is booming, and builders are expected to more than double the units that were brought into …