Business, Economy & Jobs Image

Santa Clara County Business, Economy & Jobs Articles



San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose State, other CSU Students to Start New Semester with Faculty on Strike

After months of negotiations, California State  University officials are offering a 5% pay raise. The union that represents 29,000 faculty is seeking 12% and plans to strike at all 23 campuses the first of classes, beginning Jan. 22.

Image caption: "Impact fees" add thousands to the cost of building new housing. The Supreme Court could end them.
SCOTUS Hears California Case That Could Make it Cheaper to Build Housing

The highest court in the land will soon decide how much leeway cities and counties have in offsetting new construction with fees to pay for infrastructure.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
‘Train to Nowhere’ or Fresno’s Dream? Central Valley’s $88B High-Speed Rail Has 2026 Target

If you listen to California’s political class, the high-speed rail project sounds like a textbook boondoggle – over-budget, delayed and larded up with waste. Yet in communities across California’s farm belt, the discourse is refreshingly different.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
SJ Police Chief Mata Retires to Take Job with DA

The city praised Anthony Mata for his 28 years of service with the city, listing as his accomplishments the department’s first strategic plan, increased diversity through the sworn officer ranks and managing police reform initiatives.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Supreme Court to Rule on Power of CA Cities, Counties to Impose Infrastructure Fees on Home Builders

The El Dorado County case before the state's highest court about impact fees could have huge consequences for new housing construction in California.

Image caption: Only one city in California guarantees tenants access to a lawyer when they face eviction.
For Tenants Facing Eviction, Lawyer Makes All the Difference

San Francisco provides all tenants facing eviction access to an attorney. Across the Bay, in Contra Costa County, it’s a different story. Two tenants’ stories show the difference a lawyer can make.

Image caption: The version of Mickey Mouse seen in the 1928 animated short “Steamboat Willie” is now free for public use.
Mickey Mouse Enters Public Domain. What That Means for California

Disney icon Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain, meaning anyone can create their own Mickey Mouse cartoons. Here’s what that means, and how it could affect the California economy.

Image caption: The legislature's own analysts blasted new state water conservation rules as too strict and largely unjustified.
California’s New Water-Saving Regs Lack 'Compelling Justifications'

Even though California faces serious water shortages, the Legislature’s analysts recommend weaker outdoor conservation requirements and longer deadlines for urban water agencies.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
California’s Proposed Water Conservation Rules Too Stringent and Costly, Analysts Say

Though California faces serious water shortages, the Legislature's analysts recommend weaker outdoor conservation requirements and longer deadlines.

Image caption: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas chats with Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer on the first day of the new legislative session Wednesday.
California Legislature Opens 2024 Session With Packed Agenda

State lawmakers reconvene with a lot of problems to fix, but not a lot of money to spend on solutions with a projected $68 billion budget deficit.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Local Scene: Gilroy’s water rates increase; Assistance League opens grant applications

Gilroy City Hall. Photo: Erik Chalhoub
Water, wastewater rate increases take effect

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
Los Gatos agrees to $800K body-cam, Taser deal with Axon Enterprises

Mobile phone with product website of American weapon producer Axon Enterprise on screen with business logo. (Shutterstock)
With no members of the public offering any comment on the item, the Los Gatos Town Council agreed to a $800,000 deal for …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
No More Surprise Ambulance Bills in CA in 2024

Surprise ambulance bills can leave families deeply in debt after a medical emergency. A new state law that forces insurance companies to negotiate payments is expected to save Californians tens of millions of dollars a year.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
New CA Laws for 2024: More Paid Sick Days, No More Employee Cannabis Tests

Under a new law, employees in California are guaranteed five paid sick days a year, two days more than previously. Worker advocacy groups say the benefit is needed, but business groups warn of additional costs.

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.
Join Us Today!