Monterey County Business, Economy & Jobs Articles

It’s that time—nearly two years after the start of the pandemic, cities around Monterey County are putting permanent rules in place for one of Covid’s better innovations, outdoor dining parklets.

When the pandemic started, restaurants, bars, gyms and many other businesses faced sudden shutdowns or very restricted indoor operations policies. For the restaurant industry, it was takeout only until creative outdoor seating options with parklets, tents and sidewalk tables began…

California has a new law to ban leaf blowers, which both annoy neighbors and pollute the air. Here’s why the law might not do enough, explained.

KING CITY — King City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture has announced the 2021 winners of the organization’s annual awards. This year’s award winners are: Mee Memorial Healthcare System as Business of the Year; longtime residents John and Karen Jernigan …

Inflation is on the rise, with prices in some parts of California their highest in 13 years. Here’s what caused this round of inflation, and how can it be stopped.

Despite myriad obstacles, Dungeness crab remains one of the most valuable commercial fisheries in California. Here’s how it works.

California’s cannabis business is blossoming, but industry experts tell the Sacramento Bee that the state is leaving money on the table.

The 7th annual Monterey Bay Economic Partnership’s “State of the Region” conference covered a wide range of topics from child care, to the COVID pandemic, to folding houses.

The short-term or ‘vacation’ rental industry spawns hundreds of horror stories and damages the housing market, but governments struggle with how to bring it under control.

Why is California still experiencing offshore oil spills half-a-century after the catastrophic Santa Barbara disaster? The answer is found in the state’s longtime, close relationship with the oil business.

Here’s why cargo ship traffic has been dangerously heavy at California’s ports in 2021, and how the backup may have caused a disaster.

Extended unemployment benefits, the state's eviction moratorium and other COVID relief measures have ended. But people are still out of work and hurting in California as the recovery remains slow.

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

Three years after changing its name to reflect the contemporary news business environment, CNPA makes another change with the times, admitting freelance writers and content creators as members.

Cumbersome state bureaucracy and competition from their illegal counterparts has made life perilous for California’s nascent legal cannabis businesses.

California Local gives a voice to community volunteers—and the business leaders who make their work possible.

After criticizing an earlier state proposal for bringing broadband to rural counties, the Rural County Representatives of California now applauds a new bill with $6 billion in funding.

Under California law, local governments may work together in a "Joint Powers Authority." But these little-known agencies can wield broad powers—even to levy taxes—with little public accountability.

Even as the national economy quickly recovers, thousands of Californians continue to file for unemployment benefits, largely because small business is still struggling.

California will become the first state in the nation to provide monthly basic income payments to millions of residents, after the legislature passed a $35 million bill.