Economy & Jobs

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SOMOS Mayfair

Founded in 1997 as the Mayfair Improvement Initiative, SOMOS Mayfair is dedicated to improving conditions for San Jose residents living in the largely working class, low-income, and immigrant community of Mayfair—a district in “chronic crisis.”

Local Economy & Jobs Digest

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Economy & Jobs Health

Kaiser Employees Flood Lawrence Expressway in Protest

Hundreds of Kaiser employees stood in solidarity along Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara in support of the more widespread strikes going on throughout Northern California.

(Nov. 19, 2021) → Read the full The Silicon Valley Voice report

Economy & Jobs

Caltrans Attempts Solution to Supply Chain Struggle

With supply chain issues crippling particular industries throughout the state, Caltrans is taking action with larger cargo allotments on international commerce.

(Nov. 18, 2021) → Read the full The Grapevine Independent report

Recent Articles

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Image caption: Economists say that inflation is 2021 is the direct result of the pandemic.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

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.

EXPLAINER

Dungeness Season Delays, Explained

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

STATEWIDE SIGNAL BOOSTER

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: Californians continue to set clocks back every fall, and ahead each spring.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

Daylight Saving Time, Explained

After a 2018 vote authorizing the state legislature to make daylight saving time year-round, Californians are still changing their clocks twice per year. How did we get here?

Image caption: Kate Roberts, President and CEO of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP); Rep. Jimmy Panetta; and state Sen. John Laird at the virtual MBEP “State of the Region” conference.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

5 Takeaways From MBEP’s 7th Annual State of the Region

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.

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

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

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.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

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.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

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.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

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.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

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.