“The overall numbers for 2014 were better than I expected,” says Avista Chief Economist Grant Forsyth. “Up through September, we were going to have a ‘so-so’ year in terms of employment growth and other economic measures, but the Spokane economy finally picked up in the fourth quarter.”
Steve Scranton, chief investment officer for Washington Trust Bank, characterized 2014 as a ‘solid year.’ “Spokane had the type of growth you want to see — very respectable and steady as you go — unlike some parts of the US, including Puget Sound, where you have to start wondering about the sustainability of some of their numbers.”
Shaun O’L. Higgins, Managing Principal of The Oxalis Group LLC and a longtime observer of the regional economy, says 2014, “showed solid progress for Spokane, with employment growing, unemployment shrinking, and passenger air-traffic on the upswing, among many other positives.”
