The District had the five fastest-growing states in the nation over the past twelve months.
The Intermountain states of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah were the three fastest-growing states over this year-long period. In recent months, job growth in Nevada continued at a torrid 6 percent average annual pace, and Utah continued to post about a 4 percent gain. However, employment growth in Arizona slowed this summer.
Washington now is the fourth-fastest growing state in the nation, owing largely to a pickup in aerospace industry employment.
Oregons economy continued to expand rapidly, albeit slightly slower than in 1996.
In the first half of 1997, exports from the District continued to grow rapidly, with a pickup in aircraft exports from Washington state largely offsetting slowed growth in California exports of high-tech products to Asia.