County business total lags after recession

Spokane County had fewer businesses in 2011 than it did in pre-recession 2007, new census figures show. Annual payroll was down, and the number of businesses in all size categories had fallen – except one. That category is businesses with more than 1,000 employees.

There were nine businesses with 1,000 or more paid employees in 2011, up from seven in 2007, U.S. Census Bureau data show.

The report, called “ County Business Patterns: 2011,” doesn’t name employers.

But according to the Journal of Business Book of Lists, the over-1,000 crowd for 2011 includes Spokane’s two big hospitals and Rockwood Clinic; URM and Wal-Mart; Avista; Northern Quest Casino; West Corp., the big call-center company; and Gonzaga University. The census table doesn’t include most government employees.

Spokane County had 12,151 business establishments in 2011, compared with 12,961 in 2007. The largest category is very small businesses, with one to four employees. There were 6,410 such businesses in 2011, down from 6,648 in 2007.

Find the full report at www.census.gov/econ/cbp.

Online poker to return for Nevada gamblers

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas-based social gambling company says it will launch the first legal, real-money poker website in the United States.

Ultimate Gaming will only accept wagers from players in Nevada for now, but the site likely represents the shape of things to come for gamblers across the country.

Internet poker has been banned in the U.S. since 2011.

More recently, the federal government softened its stance on Internet betting and New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada have legalized some form of online wagering.

With Tuesday’s launch, Nevada wins the race to bring Texas Hold ’em back to the Internet.

EU sets regional record for unemployment

WASHINGTON – The eurozone’s unemployment rate hit a record high of 12.1 percent in March as the region still struggled with recession, officials said Tuesday.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate for the 17-nation group topped the previous 12 percent record reached in January and February, according to Eurostat, the region’s statistical office.

At the same time, inflation fell in April to an annualized rate of 1.2 percent from 1.7 percent the previous month, Eurostat said. Low inflation and rising joblessness could lead the European Central Bank to cut interest rates more after it meets this week.

The March unemployment rate was the highest recorded since the European Union began tracking the rate in 2000 after the Euro’s creation.