Monterey County Local Business, Economy & Jobs News Articles and Digest

Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience County of Monterey

Board of Supervisors Approve $10 Million for Direct Relief in Pajaro Long-Term Recovery Plan.

12/06/2023
Image for display with article titled Supervisors Approve $10 Million for Direct Relief in Pajaro

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a long-term recovery plan for the North County community of Pajaro on Dec. 6.

From Monterey County Weekly...

Business, Economy & Jobs Sustainability

Fishermen Are Reeling From Closures That Threaten the Outlook for the Local Industry.

12/06/2023
Image for display with article titled Fishermen Reel From Closures That Threaten Local Industry

The first big industry in Monterey Bay was whaling. Then came fishing, and in recent decades, tourism. But the local fishing industry has hung on, if only by a thread. That thread is starting to fray.

From Voice of San Diego...

Business, Economy & Jobs Sports

FBI and San Diego County DA Investigate Stadium Labor Arrangements

12/05/2023
A recent investigation by Voice of San Diego revealed that nonprofits that provide staff at local stadiums could be raising money without doing charity work, while also paying labor below minimum wage and under the table. Now, multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating.

From East Bay Express...

Business, Economy & Jobs

Cannabis Industry Struggling in California

12/05/2023
Profits have been down for cannabis operators in California in recent years. While the industry is still big business in the state, it faces an uncertain future.

From Monterey Herald...

Business, Economy & Jobs

See Monterey Appoints New Senior Conference Sales Manager

12/05/2023
As part of its strategy to attract larger groups to the county, See Monterey has announced that Michele Pearce, who has nearly 20 years of industry experience, will officially fill the new position.

From SFGate...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Sustainability

Imperial County Might Have Enough Lithium for 375 Million Batteries

12/04/2023
A new study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found that approximately 3,400 kilotons of lithium are located below Imperial County in Southern California. This could produce more than $7 billion in lithium carbonate annually, helping power significant numbers of electric vehicles.

From CalMatters...

Business, Economy & Jobs Elections & Politics Government

New Assembly Labor Committee Chair Faces Ongoing Worker Unrest, but Scores Some Wins

12/04/2023
With nine months’ experience in the Assembly, Liz Ortega will lead the Labor committee after a strike-filled summer and several wins for low-wage workers.

From CalMatters...

Business, Economy & Jobs Education Community Service & Support Government

Cal State Faculty Begins Walkouts Over Salary Hikes

12/04/2023
The California Faculty Association is seeking a 12 percent pay increase, while university officials counter with 5 percent in each of the next three years.

From KQED...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Transportation Sustainability Government

Oakland Might Have to Pay Developers Millions Over Coal Terminal

12/04/2023
An Alameda County judge ruled on Nov. 22 that the city of Oakland thwarted a proposed coal export terminal. The judge will rule if the developer who sued is entitled to $159 million in damages or moving forward with the project.

From Monterey County Weekly...

Business, Economy & Jobs Land Use & Development City of Monterey

Against the Odds, a Developer Is Pushing a Cannery Row Project That No Longer Has a Permit.

11/29/2023
Image for display with article titled Developer Is Pushing a Cannery Row Project That No Longer Has a Permit

By day, the derelict San Xavier Fish Reduction plant at 484 Cannery Row looks exactly like what it is: ruins of a bygone era when sardine fishing was king on the Monterey Peninsula.

From Sacramento Bee...

Business, Economy & Jobs

Retailers Boost Pay Ahead of California Minimum Wage Increase

11/29/2023
California’s minimum hourly wage will rise from $15.50 to $16 on Jan. 1. Ahead of this, retailers like Costco and Target have raised their minimum pay in recent years.

From LAist...

Business, Economy & Jobs Education

USC Grad Students Avoid Strike After Reaching Deal with University

11/27/2023
A graduate student workers union and the University of Southern California have agreed to a three-year labor contract that averts a looming strike. The deal calls for pay increases each of the three years.

From Orange County Register...

Business, Economy & Jobs

California Had Third-Largest Inflow of Residents in 2022

11/24/2023
About 475,000 people moved to the Golden State in 2022. That's the third-highest number of people moving to a state in the U.S., trailing only Texas and Florida.

From Sacramento Bee...

Business, Economy & Jobs Transportation

Data Shows Four Cities in California Among Worst for Holiday Travel

11/21/2023
A new study by Forbes shows that four cities in the Golden State—Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego and Sacramento—are among the 21 worst cities in the United States for holiday travel. Forbes looked at a variety of factors including car accidents, hotel prices and air travel.

From SFGate...

Business, Economy & Jobs Agriculture, Food & Gardening

One of Largest Cannabis Distribution Companies in State Goes Up in Smoke

11/20/2023
HERBL, one of California’s biggest cannabis companies, collapsed earlier this year. The company, which sold $700 million of cannabis last year, reportedly shorted the state $17 million in taxes.

From Inside Climate News...

Business, Economy & Jobs Sustainability

Senators Urge IRS to Withhold Fed Funds from California Bioenergy Firm

11/20/2023
Fulcrum Bioenergy, a California-based firm that seeks to turn plastics into jet fuel, has defaulted on $289 million in bond funding and put a major project on hold. This comes as several U.S. Senators wrote to the IRS urging that similar companies not receive federal tax credits.

From SFGate...

Business, Economy & Jobs

OpenAI Employees Threaten to Quit En Masse Following Sam Altman’s Firing

11/20/2023
Hundreds of OpenAI workers signed a letter threatening to quit if the company’s entire board didn’t resign and if two former executives weren’t brought back. This came after the board fired one of the execs, Sam Altman, who then joined the other exec, Greg Brockman, at Microsoft.

From Monterey Herald...

Business, Economy & Jobs Agriculture, Food & Gardening

Monterey Wine Trail Rename, Rebrand Comes Amid Exceptional Harvest

11/17/2023
The 31-mile-long wine trail along River, Foothill, and Los Coches roads in the Salinas Valley is undergoing a name change and rebrand just as wineries along the route are reaping the fruits of an exceptional wine-growing season.

From Sacramento Bee...

Business, Economy & Jobs

PG&E Rates Officially Going Up in California in 2024

11/16/2023
The utility giant got the okay from the California Public Utilities Commission to hike rates next year. Average increases will range between about $10 and $33, depending on whether customers receive gas, electricity or both from PG&E.

From CalMatters...

Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience Community Service & Support Government

Flooded California Towns Got Millions in Aid. But Residents, State at Odds Over How to Spend it

11/16/2023
Residents of Planada and Pajaro want state aid to help alleviate debt incurred from rebuilding after January floods. Local officials want some money to go elsewhere.

Monterey County Local News: Business, Economy & Jobs