by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - The island's economic outlook is favorable and improving. That was the major finding from First Hawaiian Bank's Economic Analysis that was conducted by Dr. Maria Claret Ruane. Tourism arrivals rebounded with 16% more visitors coming to Guam between January and August of this year as compared to the same period last year.

And while there appears to be some positive indications that the military buildup plan for Guam is on track, the local government's continued fiscal challenges and a sluggish real estate market were identified as not-so-rosy developments. Employment on the island also decreased in the last year while there was a small growth in government jobs.

The report also noted that the CNMI's economy has shown some positive signs of development but uncertainty remains with regard to the effects of the federalization law.