Old Town Model Railroad Depot offers membership contest

The Old Town Model Railroad Depot, a model railroad museum based in San Diego’s historic Old Town district, is offering weekly drawings for a free one-year Family Membership to guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Guests who come to visit the Depot can show a copy or photo of their CDC immunization record to enter the weekly drawing. Contest winners will receive a one-year membership for free entrance to the Depot for themselves, their spouse, and their children. The Depot is excited to offer this contest in order to celebrate the lifesaving vaccination campaign and to encourage all guests to take advantage of the opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19.

The Old Town Model Railroad Depot, located at 2415 San Diego Avenue, Suite 107, San Diego, CA 92110, is open to the public Thursday through Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The Depot also includes a retail store featuring train-themed gifts, books and apparel. More information can be found at oldtowntrains.com. The Depot’s phone number is (619) 299-9015.

Job analysts see improvement on road to recovery

San Diego’s labor market saw some further improvement in April as the region jumped two tiers from the prior month in California’s reopening process. Payroll numbers advanced moderately, but the jobless rate inched slightly higher after adjusting for seasonal trends. In a month when more people sat on the sidelines, companies scrambled to find workers.

Nonfarm employers in San Diego County added 5,200 jobs in April after adjusting for the usual hiring that occurs during this time of the year. This was about half the 9,800 advance reported before that allowance. Some of the month’s gain reflected the region’s rapid shift from the most restrictive “red” tier in early March to the second least restrictive “orange” tier in April when the latest numbers were tallied, according to Lynn Reaser, Chief Economist for Point Loma Nazarene University.

Most businesses added jobs in April, highlighted by the 7,000 (unadjusted) surge in leisure and hospitality hiring. Restaurants and bars alone added 4,500 jobs.

San Diego’s job market still has a lot of ground to recover. As of April, the region’s employment was still 123,000 or 8.1% short of the pre-pandemic high reached in February 2020. This was similar to the State’s 8.0% shortfall but significantly more than the 5.4% nationwide gap.

Underscoring the uneven pace of recovery across industries, construction and utility jobs are above their pre-pandemic levels, but leisure and hospitality employment is only at 73% of that level. E-commerce has helped offset some of the losses in retail, but hotels and restaurants are still struggling to get back on their feet.

San Diego leads SoCal in warehouse rents

Cushman & Wakefield has recently published its 2021 Global Logistics Outlook report that analyzes several key drivers affecting growth, global leasing dynamics and provides an outlook for the sector.

Specific to Southern California, according to the global report, as of Q4 2020 San Diego had the #13 most expensive warehouse rents ($13.44 psf/year) worldwide, followed by Orange County at #14 ($12.73 psf/year). Los Angeles was #18 at $11.64 psf/year.

Alaska Airlines begins three new nonstop routes from San Diego International Airport

Alaska Airlines has begun began daily nonstop service from San Diego International Airport to New York via John F. Kennedy International Airport and seasonal nonstop service to Bozeman, Mont. via Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. The airline began seasonal nonstop service to Kalispell, Mont. via Glacier Park International Airport on May 21.

“Alaska Airlines’ new flights to JFK will provide San Diegans yet another option to access the greater New York area,” said Kimberly Becker, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “We are excited to add more service to Montana, a state that has an abundance of outdoor recreation and is home to several national parks. I would like to thank Alaska Airlines for their continued investment in our community.”

Alaska Airlines will offer nonstop service to Bozeman and Kalispell through Sept. 7. On March 18, Alaska Airlines began year-round nonstop service to Missoula, Mont. With these additions, Alaska Airlines now offers nonstop service to 32 destinations from San Diego, more than any other carrier.