From a business standpoint, Orange County closes 1999 in an almost giddy mood: Companies are thriving; virtually everyone who wants to or who can is working (the jobless rate hit an all-time low of 2.3% in November, and finding qualified help has become the biggest challenge facing business); builders once again are in full swing; home prices are rising to record levels across the board; and holiday shoppers are ringing cash registers. How long can it keep up? Economists say the pace will slow in the year 2000, but there’s no consensus for a downturn. And plenty of forecasters see more excitement ahead, especially among the county’s growing stable of technology firms. In this annual forecast issue, we recap the year finished, and look at the year ahead.
Entering a New Millennium at Hyper-Speed
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