Despite slow construction spending in the first half of this year, commercial property occupancy prices and rates actually accelerated during the period. Since these are the primary indicators driving nonresidential construction capital expenditures, advisors believe this sector is in the early stages of recovery. Although commercial construction spending is up only 2% year to date, vacancy rates are low and average prices have increased. Office and lodging construction are other indicators of construction spending, and their recovery remains strong. Steady employment growth has been a key to these improvements.
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Edited from: Grainger.com
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The Graniterock Information Services team has noticed a recent increase in the problem of spam and phishing emails and phone calls which attempt to steal user information. A Graniterock Team Member recently reported a caller claiming to be from “Microsoft”. The caller told our Team Member his computer had been hacked, but for a fee of $99 Microsoft tech support would remotely repair the computer. This computer was purchased through our Company’s home computer purchase program, so before doing anything he wisely asked us for advice.
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Supplies of oil have been surging this year, and U.S. drivers, who have been switching to more fuel-efficient cars, are using less gasoline.That would seem to be the right economic combination to push down prices at the pump, but gasoline prices have remained stubbornly high this summer. 
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Watsonville’s Historic Railroad Depot is one of the few depots still remaining of the many built by the Southern Pacific Railroad during California’s glory days of train travel. The structure itself has been almost unchanged since it was built in 1895, and is a wonderful reminder of the rich history of train travel in our region. Trains and rail transport have been a part of Graniterock history since 1876, when a deposit of granite rock was first discovered by railroad surveyors as they prepared to lay track along the Pajaro River Gap between Watsonville and San Juan Bautista. Since then, narrow and standard gauge steam locomotives, diesel engines and fleets of rail cars have helped to transport crushed granite rock within the A.R. Wilson Quarry and beyond to construction sites throughout California. 
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Reported in the Salinas Californian June 13, 2013   
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The County of Santa Clara released the results of a study on Thursday showing the overall health of residents from Gilroy up to Palo Alto. The report is being used to create a new Health Element of the Santa Clara County General Plan. “This report helps us better understand some of the health challenges our residents face, and gives us the tools to make improvements through the planning process,” said Supervisor Joe Simitian. 
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From T. Rowe Price Insights, by Alan Levenson, T. Rowe Price Chief Economist: With recent data showing the U.S. economy continuing to expand at a moderate pace, domestic stock markets trading near record highs, and some Fed officials publicly worrying that low interest rates could destabilize markets, many investors are increasingly attuned to signs that the central bank is preparing to temper its easy-money policies.
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MILWAUKEE (May 28, 2013) - ManpowerGroup today released the results of its eighth annual Talent Shortage Survey, revealing 39 percent of U.S. employers are having difficulty finding staff with the right skills,down from 49 percent in 2012. U.S. employers report a slightly more pronounced talent shortage than their global peers, 35 percent of whom report difficulty finding the right people for key roles. According to the survey, nearly half (49 percent) of U.S. employers recognize that talent shortages impact their ability to serve clients and customers.
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By SHANE J. LOPEZ
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