Monterey County Business, Economy & Jobs Articles

So-called “backyard breeding,” the breeding of cats or dogs with no regulation, is a problem the City of Seaside has faced for years. At least in part, that’s because the city hasn’t required a permit for breeders. On Nov. 7,…

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has approved a hiring freeze for county positions funded by the General Fund discretionary revenue.

Erik Chalhoub here. I first learned about cooperative businesses while reporting on an article about Ace Hardware years ago. Known as a co-op, such businesses are not controlled by a single owner; rather they are owned by the workers of…

MONTEREY COUNTY — The imbalance between housing supply and demand is a key challenge to economic growth in Monterey County, according to a new report that makes clear the need for increasing housing supply.

Pressured by a projected $20 million deficit for the next fiscal year, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 15, to implement a hiring freeze for positions funded by General Fund discretionary revenue, as well as…

A coalition of economic development agencies along the Central Coast released a report Oct. 1 outlining the opportunities—and challenges—in growing the local economy. Now, the Uplift Central Coast Coalition has opened grant applications to help realize those opportunities.

A hotel construction boom is underway in Monterey County, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge, says Rob O’Keefe, president and CEO of See Monterey. Done right, it could increase tourism revenue, already a $3 billion industry. Done wrong, new…

A report released Tuesday, Oct. 1 determined that only 6.4 percent of hospitality jobs along the Central Coast qualify as “quality,” defined as those that pay a "living wage," among other factors.

One of the largest mushroom producers in the United States, Monterey Mushrooms, will be closing its 275-acre Royal Oaks facility in North Monterey County. In a WARN letter issued to the California Employment Development Department, the company reports that 605…

SOLEDAD — City of Soledad has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Program, a significant initiative aimed at fostering economic growth in rural communities.

SOLEDAD — An overwhelming majority of Soledad Community Health Care District (SCHCD) workers decided last month to form their union with SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care workers union.

A construction fence surrounds a few bulldozers and concrete pipes on a formerly agricultural field in South Salinas. It’s the most visual representation to date of Amazon’s plans to move into Salinas, after years of starts and stops and closed-door…

Celia Jiménez here, thinking about how internships allow you to find your strengths and weaknesses, giving you a perspective on the career choices you have made or will make in the future.

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo has announced the release of the 2023 Annual Crop and Livestock Report, which recorded a production gross value of just over $4.35 billion, reflecting a 6.1% decrease from 2022.

A saga delayed by an aimless lawsuit finally played out to its much-anticipated happy ending—and beginning.

MONTEREY COUNTY — In the midst of a 30-day challenge period that is critically important to the allocation of federal broadband funds to close the digital divide, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is working to ensure that the region receives …

For the second year in a row, winter storms and flooding impacted the local agriculture industry, Monterey County’s largest.

Progress is coming to Carmel, much to the disappointment of the leader of the Carmel Preservation Association, Neal Kruse. He appealed the approval by the Carmel Planning Commission in April of a new luxury hotel to replace the 67-year-old Hofsas…

In 1957, Donna and Fred Hofsas built a quaint, four-story Bavarian-themed hotel in Carmel. Donna commissioned an artist friend, Maxine Albro, to paint a welcome mural, and Fred created a coat of arms, with the Latin words “Otium Cum Dignitate,”…