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San Joaquin County Business, Economy & Jobs Articles



Image caption: Economists say that inflation is 2021 is the direct result of the pandemic.
How Bad Is Inflation, and How Can It Be Stopped?

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.

Image caption:
Holding Back the Bud Boom

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

Image caption: Local cities and counties struggle to regulate the exploding short-term rental industry.
Short-Term Losses

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.

Image caption: There are still 27 oil platforms off the California coastline.
Offshore Oil Drilling in California Waters, Explained

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.

Image caption: Cargo ship traffic has reached record levels at California’s ports in 2021.
Link Between Port Traffic Jams and Oil Spill, Explained

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.

Image caption: The state's economic recovery from the pandemic has been slower than expected.
Why California Jobs Have Been Slow to Come Back, Explained

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.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

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.

Image caption: The state’s largest news industry trade group is now open to freelancers.
CNPA Now Admits Freelance Members

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.

Image caption: California’s three-year-old legal cannabis industry is already struggling. Here’s why.
The Crisis in California’s Legal Cannabis Industry, Explained

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

Image caption: California Local Publisher Michael Gelbman talks about his vision for the site’s future.
Tell Us a Story

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

Image caption: Gov. Newsom has signed a new bill to fund rural broadband access.
Rural Counties Welcome $6 Billion in State Broadband Money

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.

Image caption: Joint Powers Authorities are important government agencies with little public accountability.
JPAs Explained: Little-Known Govt Bodies With A Big Role

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.

Image caption: Thousands of Californians continue to file for unemployment benefits.
CA Unemployment Claims Remain at High Levels

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

Image caption: The state legislature passed a basic income bill Thursday without a single ‘no’ vote.
CA Passes First-in-United States 'Basic Income' Bill

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.

Image caption: A new bill would expand the state's paid family leave.
New Bill Makes Paid Family Leave Affordable for All Workers

A new bill now in the state Senate would make paid family leave accessible even to workers on the lowest end of the income spectrum.

Image caption: A new breed of super-commuter may cause post-pandemic traffic congestion to become worse than it was before March 2020.
As Pandemic Recedes, Traffic Jams Are Coming Back

As the pandemic recedes, traffic is getting worse. But workers returning to offices appears not to be the main reason why.

Image caption: PG&E wants a new, 18 percent rate hike over five years starting in 2023.
PG&E Wants New Rate Hike For Fire Prevention

Pacific Gas & Electric is asking customers to pay more for protection from wildfires caused by PG&E.

Image caption: The state's housing market never recovered from the 2008 recession.
House Poor in California

A USC study shows the economy recovered fully from the 2008 recession—except for housing.

Featured

Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
Though life expectancy has declined in recent years, Californians still live longer than most Americans.
Want to Live a Long, Healthy Life? Move to California
Californians live longer than people in all but three states, but not all counties are equal.
They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country
California, a state known for high-tech and show business glitz, is also America’s farming powerhouse.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
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