Peoria area economy shows improvement

Improvements in the central Illinois labor market fostered growth in the economic index for the Peoria-Pekin Metropolitan Statistical Area for the second consecutive quarter, according to Bradley University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

The first quarter 2014 index reached 96.7, a 0.5 percent increase over the fourth quarter of 2013, the Bradley report said.

That coupled with improvements in most leading indicators monitored by the CBER “signal the potential for continued growth in the months ahead,” said the report from CBER Director Bernard Goitein.

The leading indicator improvements were in building permits, unemployment rate and new unemployment claims, the report said.

The Summary Index for the Peoria-Pekin MSA covers Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Stark and Marshall counties and is derived from activity in more than 30 diverse business indicators reviewed by the CBER. An index score of 100 was set to correspond to local business conditions in the first quarter of 2000, following the national economic expansion of the previous decade, the report said. The present national economic expansion began after the national recession of December 2007 to June 2009. “Impact of the national recession was evident locally in the Summary Index that reached its cyclical low of 93.2 in the fourth quarter of 2009,” it said.

The index has been compiled by CBER since 1991 and is funded by the Peoria Journal Star.

Local labor markets showed improvement with a 2.1 percent increase in the number of people working and a decrease in the unemployment rate from 9.8 percent to 9.1 percent. A 20.5 percent increase in help wanted advertising was another key factor in the report.  

Layoffs fell during the first quarter of 2014 by 43.8 percent from the previous quarter, reducing the rate of job losses 29.5 percent below the 121.6 of the year before, for a New Unemployment Claims Index score of 85.7, well below the 100 of the Index’s 2000 base year, the report said.

“With more people working and fewer people losing their jobs, the number of jobs on local employer payrolls was up 0.4 percent from that found during the fourth quarter of 2103. First quarter growth of 0.5 percent or more was found for the number of people on the payrolls of three of the six private sectors industries tracked by the CBER (Construction, Professional and Business Services, and Retail and Wholesale Trade), with little change for the remaining three industries tracked (Manufacturing, Health Care, and Hospitality/Entertainment),” the report said.

Employment in construction, manufacturing and professional and business services, industries that are particularly sensitive to business cycles, were up or roughly the same from the previous quarter. Employment in retail and wholesale trade and in hospitality/entertainment (the latter dominated by restaurants) showed improvement or were virtually unchanged, as well.

One negative area in the report was in home sales. The number of homes sold in the first quarter in the Peoria-Pekin MSA fell 15.4 percent from a year earlier.  A separate analysis showed the decline largely a result of a decline since the previous quarter, with first quarter sales falling to a greater extent than would be expected from normal seasonal variation. One reason was weather but another was a decline in the number of homes that went on the market.

Meanwhile, prices for homes sold during the first quarter rose 2 percent from the previous quarter, beyond what would be expected from normal seasonal variation, putting these prices 10 percent above year before. At the same time, first quarter increase in mortgage interest rates of 0.11 percentage points added to earlier increases, to put these rates 0.4 percentage points above the same time last year, the report said. 

Are Americans worrying too much about the wrong things?

June is National Safety Month, and the National Safety Council is calling on Americans to take notice of the fifth leading cause of death – unintentional injuries.

Every four minutes someone in the United States dies from an unintentional injury. That's 120,000 people a year. Sixty-seven percent of all injury-related deaths in the U.S. are due to unintentional causes, compared with just 9 percent to homicide. 

"Dramatic events like homicides and natural disasters headline the news every night," said Deborah Hersman, NSC president and CEO. "Highlighting that hundreds of people are dying each day from completely preventable causes – that is what National Safety Month is all about."

The top three causes of unintentional injury in the U.S. are poisoning, motor vehicle crashes and falls. An estimated 36,900 deaths in 2012 were due to poisoning, with a large majority of these attributed to the recent epidemic of prescription drug abuse;45 people die every day from unintentional overdoses on prescription pain relievers. According to 2012 estimates, motor vehicle crashes resulted in 36,300 deaths, with 26% of all crashes estimated to involve cell phone use while driving. Finally, approximately 27,800 deaths in 2012 can be attributed to falls, with seven out of ten of these deaths affecting adults over 74 years of age.

"These statistics are not just numbers, they are our family members," said Hersman. "This year's National Safety Month theme, Safety: it takes all of us, is a call for everyone to make simple changes to prevent tragedy in your home or car. Properly store your medications, put down your phone when you drive and use slip-resistant mats on your floors. These small changes can make a huge difference."

The cost of unintentional injuries to Americans and their employers exceeds $793 billion nationally and are paid in the form of taxes, insurance premiums, medical costs, property damage, lost wages and productivity. The emotional toll causes great suffering for families and loved ones.

The purpose of National Safety Month is to encourage safe behaviors to prevent the leading causes of injuries and deaths. The Council's National Safety Month campaign includes free downloadable materials to help spread important safety messages. Visit nsc.org/nsm to get involved.

Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.

FrizziToons: The truthful commencement speech we didn't hear

Most People Don't Know the Warning Signs of Stroke

On average, one American dies from a stroke every four minutes. Stroke is also the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. While common, stroke is also preventable with lifestyle changes.

Recognizing a stroke when it occurs can save lives yet a recent study reported that 1 in 5 women can't identify a single stroke warning sign – even though it's the fourth leading cause of death among Americans. Northwestern Medicine^® stroke experts encourage people to understand how they can limit their risk and to learn the symptoms of stroke.

"A stroke occurs when a blocked blood vessel or artery interrupts blood flow to a particular part of the brain," said Richard Bernstein, MD, director of the Northwestern Medicine Stroke Program and Telestroke and professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Depending on the severity of a stroke and where in the brain it occurred, physical, cognitive and emotional functions may be impacted."

Sometimes called "brain attacks," strokes leave more than two-thirds of survivors with lasting disability. With rehabilitation and specialist stroke survivors and their families are given hope and support through this life-altering event. While some stroke risk factors can be reduced or controlled with preventive lifestyle choices, others are inherited.

"Making healthy decisions can dramatically lower a person's risk of having a stroke," said Clyde Yancy, MD, associate director of Northwestern's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute and chief of the division of cardiology at Northwestern Memorial and the Feinberg School. "While not every stroke risk is controllable an overall healthy lifestyle that emphasizes weight management through regular exercise and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains while avoiding high sodium and high-fat foods is important for overall health. Controlling blood pressure cannot be overemphasized as a way to reduce the likelihood of a stroke. Not smoking and limiting your drinking will also improve your overall health and decrease your likelihood of having a stroke."

People with preexisting medical conditions or have family members that had a stroke also have an increased risk of stroke. Cardiovascular conditions including atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and poor circulation because of narrowed arteries heighten stroke risk. Neurological conditions including aneurysms and vascular malformations can cause bleeding in the brain, which is often the cause of stroke in young individuals. Proper treatment for these conditions plays an important role in risk reduction and prevention.

When a stroke occurs, rapid medical attention is crucial. When treatment is received promptly, a person has a far greater chance of surviving the stroke and more likely to have less lasting damage.

Immediate medical care should be sought if one or more of the following warning signs are observed: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; or sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

To remember the signs of stroke, the National Stroke Association recommends using the acronym FAST:
• Face – Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• Arms – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech – Ask the person to speak. Does the person have slurred speech or trouble speaking? 
• Time – If you observe any of the above signs, call 9-1-1.

Take the Northwestern Medicine stroke risk assessment to learn more about stroke risk factors you can help control. For more information about stroke, visit our website.