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Insight
America Alone
April 7, 2025 Recent political and economic decisions, particularly tariffs, have strained relationships with allies like Canada, Mexico, Australia, and European countries, causing diplomatic fallout and economic uncertainty. In this article on Medium.com, Sean Randolph, …
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Democratize AI: How the AI Tide Can Lift More Boats
February 25, 2024 AI is fueling economic recovery in the Bay Area. Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s open-source R1 model has raised concerns about AI investment, but its energy-efficient and low-cost innovations could accelerate AI adoption. …
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Will We Lose the Global EV Market?
February 18, 2024 The Biden’s administration’s support for electric vehicles (EV’s), including tax incentives and funding for charging infrastructure, is being rolled back. In this article in the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Sean Randolph, Senior …
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Silicon Valley’s 2025 Outlook: Challenges Persist Amidst AI-Driven Resurgence
January 6, 2025 As a new year begins the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Bay Area’s economy remains consistent with patterns over 2023 and 2022: a mixed story of slow progress in addressing underlying structural challenges, combined …
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Reading the Trump Playbook: The Global Economy Waits
November 11, 2024 The Trump presidency will reshape the United States relationship with the rest of the world. Changes from the current administration will be abrupt, with a long list of campaign promises revolving around …
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Global production continues to shift: India, Mexico and Southeast Asia benefit
August 5, 2024 The worldwide shift of production is fully underway as companies with global operations diversify their sourcing and work to manage risk. A trend for several years, this has become a flow. A …
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Bay Area Transit and Traffic Monthly Tracker
Explore the traffic tracker here. Each month, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute compiles data from the region’s 7 state-owned toll bridges, as well as ridership data from AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Ferry, …
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Technology, Investment, and Mexico’s New President
June 25, 2023 As Mexico’s strategic importance to the U.S. grows, its newly elected president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has an opportunity to deepen the economic relationship and with-it prosperity in both countries. In this article in …
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Viewpoint: Can the ‘San Francisco Vision’ Reset U.S.-China Relations
March 6, 2023 The Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference was a pivotal event for the Bay Area and San Francisco. With the City in the world spotlight for the first time since the founding …
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APEC Delivers for San Francisco
December 1, 2023 The Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference that recently concluded was a pivotal event for the Bay Area and San Francisco. With the City in the world spotlight for the first time …
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#TheIndiaDialog Conversation with Sean Randolph
October 26, 2023 The significance of India technology innovation and capacity has been growing tremendously, with Silicon Valley at the heart of that change. In this video, Sean Randolph, Senior Director of the Institute, recorded …
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Guest Viewpoint: Silicon Valley Bank alive and open for business six months after collapse
September 20, 2023 With the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, most would say that the bank is dead and gone, however, SVB is very much alive and open for business. In this article in …
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The U.S. and India take the next step: Unpacking U.S.-India technology cooperation and Modi summit
September 6, 2023 June’s meeting between U.S. President Biden and India’s Prime Minister Modi advanced the U.S.-India connection to a new level. While the relationship falls short of an actual alliance and India and the …
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Viewpoint: Why the U.S. and Europe Need to Work Together on Technology
August 1, 2023 Europe and the United States are allies, collaborators — and competitors. Today, it is increasingly important that Europe and the United States look beyond competition to align their policies and capabilities around …
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How Connected Are the Bay Area and India?
June 23, 2023 India’s economic ties to the San Francisco/Silicon Bay Area are continuing to grow, led by the dramatic acceleration of India’s digital economy, the maturing and growth of its startup environment and the …
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India Links to Silicon Valley Grow
June 12, 2023 India’s economic ties to the San Francisco/Silicon Bay Area are continuing to grow, led by reform and growth in India, Silicon Valley’s global reach, and geostrategic alignment between India and the US. …
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Viewpoint: APEC is Coming
May 16, 2023 As part of the United States’ 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Host Year, San Francisco will host APEC’s Economic Leaders Week and the CEO Summit in November 2023. The meetings will enable …
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Bay Watch – Population Loss
Bay Watch: A Weekly Look into the Bay Area Economy May 5th, 2023 The Bay Area sees population loss for the third straight year, losing 34,000 people across 2022. New data released this week by …
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Viewpoint: China’s Troubles Present a Moment for North America
April 18, 2023 U.S.-China tensions, supply chain vulnerabilities, reshoring, and other trends present a window of opportunity for North America. In this article in the SF Business Times, Sean Randolph, Senior Director of the Institute, …
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Viewpoint: Rethinking Downtown: Make the City’s Core an Innovation Hub
March 8, 2023 With the City of San Francisco’s recovery lagging behind other major U.S. cities, could an innovation hub in downtown San Francisco be modeled after a Canadian city? In particular, Toronto? In this …
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Project Summary
← Return to the Economic Recovery Page Project Summary Between extended economic shutdowns to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, work-from-home policies employed by Bay Area businesses, and a sharp reduction in travel, the region’s downtown …
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Bay Area Job Watch
November 21, 2022 The highlights: • The Bay Area added 17,600 jobs in October after two months of slow growth. Unemployment rates ticked up slightly but the region’s UE rate in October was 2.6%. • …
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Bay Watch – September Jobs Report
Bay Watch: A Weekly Look into the Bay Area Economy October 21, 2022 Bay Area loses jobs for the first time since January 2021 New employment data released today by the California Employment Development Department …
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Up, Down or Sideways: Reading the Tea Leaves in Silicon Valley
August 18, 2022 With the economy in flux and the long-term effects of remote work still unknown, it’s fair to ask how the Bay Area – as the world’s leading hub for technology, entrepreneurship and …
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Why Global Companies Aren’t Ditching the Bay Area
July 22, 2022 The Bay Area Council and Bay Area Council Economic Institute understand well the importance of our region’s connections to the world in supporting and growing our innovation economy. In this commentary in …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Payroll Job Growth Slumps but That is Not the Whole Story June 27, 2022 The Bay Area added 6,900 payroll jobs in May with substantial payroll declines in added jobs for each of the past …
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Understanding the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity
June 24, 2022 In May 2022, the United States and 13 nations launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a next-generation economic initiative designed to bring together economies in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions around …
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Global Entrepreneurship Breaks Out
June 21, 2022 For years technology entrepreneurship was almost exclusive domain of Silicon Valley. In this article on Medium.com, by Sean Randolph, Senior Director of the Institute, details how new opportunities for growth and innovation are …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Slower Job Growth in April and Some Good News in the Report May 23, 2022 TThe Bay Area added 11,500 payroll jobs in April down from 15,500 in March and 24,100 in February. Job growth …
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CEQA Exemptions for Sustainable Transit: SB288 and SB922
What is SB288? The purpose of SB288 (Wiener) is to reduce the time and cost of delivering sustainable transportation projects across California by exempting certain projects from CEQA that are in the public right of …
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China’s Companies Fall in Line
March 21, 2022 In 2020, China began to crackdown on technology companies through regulations and politics. Now in 2022, China’s massive tech sector collectively and publicly fell in line with China’s government and the Communist …
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End of 2021 marks a steady year of job growth, though regional recovery still lagging
New data for December 2021 show modest gains in employment for the Bay Area, California, and nation overall, ending a year of slow but steady job growth. While the first half of 2021 was marked …
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Webinar: China’s Greater Bay Area and Ours: Can We Collaborate
China is rapidly connecting Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province into a regional finance, technology, manufacturing and tourism hub of 86 million people. Over the next decade, this Greater Bay Area (GBA) …
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San Francisco’s labor force one of the slowest to recover among large US metro areas
As of November 2021, San Francisco’s labor force – defined as those employed or looking for work – is still down 78,000, or 3% from pre-pandemic levels. Our region’s recovery remains one of the slowest …
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Viewpoint: Why the Bay Area’s Innovation Connection to Israel is so Tight
December 9, 2021 Unique economic ties link the Bay Area and California with Israel. For a nation of only 9.3 million people, Israel has an extraordinary record of generating technology and startups. Its role as …
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Bay Area Job Watch
The Recovery Gains Momentum and More Hopeful News November 22, 2021 Bay Area job growth accelerated in September and October. At the same time VC funding has reached record levels, housing permits have begun to …
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Return to Transit Survey – October Results
The following presentation contains seven months of survey results. Each survey was sent through the Bay Area Council Employer Network; a group of over 100 employers who signed up to participate in the survey. Employers …
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New Analysis of Housing Permits Shows Prominence of ADUs in the Bay Area
An analysis by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute using data from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) shows Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) accounted for 13.4 percent of all housing permit types …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Modest Job Growth, Good News on Housing and COVID Sept 22, 2021 The Bay Area has posted modest but disappointing job gains since March. At the same time VC funding is strong, housing permits have …
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Webinar: Opportunities in China’s Great Bay Area
On September 8, Bay Area Council Economic Institute Senior Director Sean Randolph presented the findings of the Institute’s new study on the China Greater Bay Area to an audience in the U.S. and China organized …
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Highlighting California’s Demographic Shifts with New and Historic Census Data
California’s population growth has been slowing, most recently leading to the loss of a congressional seat for the first time in the state’s history. This shift is nothing new, but rather part of a decades-long …
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Toll tags show Bay Bridge traffic has recovered to pre-pandemic levels while transit ridership still lags
Bay Bridge weekday traffic counts, as reported through westbound toll tags, have returned to pre-pandemic levels across all hours of the day. The average number of cars passing through the toll plaza on weekdays …
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Rethinking Mexico and its Ties to Silicon Valley
July 3rd, 2021 Tech interest is growing in Mexico. Led by investors, entrepreneurs and leaders in states and cities, Mexico is now on the radar for U.S. technology and innovation partners. In this transformation, Silicon …
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Intellectual Property Rights for COVID Vaccines Must be Protected
June 4th, 2021 Intellectual property rights are at the root of biotechnology R&D and vital to the industry in the Bay Area. In an article on Medium.com, Sean Randolph of the Bay Area Council Economic …
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Viewpoint: Supporting the Arts Supports the Economy
May 7th, 2021 Sean Randolph of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute says a year without arts has left San Francisco a poorer place. When the arts resume, the city, its businesses and its residents …
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Bay Area Job Watch
The Recovery Strengthens April 19, 2021 The highlights: • The Bay Area added 50,100 jobs between January and March 2021 .and the regional unemployment rate fell from 6.6% to 5.9%. Job gains were led by …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Dissecting the Downward Revision to Bay Area Job Estimates March 18, 2021 The highlights: • The downward revisions occurred after May 2021.In that month the revisions raised, now lowered, the Bay Area job total. • …
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Viewpoint: Biden Administration Could Offer a New Dawn for H1-B Visas
February 4th, 2021 Under the Biden administration, there has been a significant push for a broad based immigration reform. These policies include H1-B visas, which are used by tech companies to fill high-skilled workforce gaps. …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Pace of Recovery January 25, 2021 The highlights: • The past two months have brought discouraging economic news for the near-term as a result of the virus spread and resulting restrictions on activity in the …
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Passive Observer: the U.S. and Asia’s New Trade Pact
December 4, 2020 Last month, fifteen nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the U.S. however, did not sign. This article by Sean Randolph, Senior Director of the Institute, on Medium.com, details how this …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Pace of Recovery November 23, 2020 The highlights: • The Bay Area recorded substantial (32,800) job growth in October as many counties relaxed restrictions on reopening. • Between April and October, the Bay Area recovered …
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What a Biden Presidency Will Mean for US-India Relations
November 20, 2020 Joe Biden’s election as President of the United States will bring major changes in US foreign policy. In places such as India, the U.S. seeks to deepen connections and economic ties. This …
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How the San Francisco Bay Area is Leading the Quantum Revolution
November 16, 2020 San Francisco Bay Area universities, research institutes, and companies were pivotal in launching the modern computer industry and remain at the heart of the global technological revolution. The next great advance is …
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Biden will look to reset US-China relations, but he won’t back off or revert to the pre-Trump status quo
November 16, 2020 US policy towards China will be less confrontational and the trade war may be dialled down, Biden will keep up the pressure on scrutiny of Chinese investments in the US, market access …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Pace of Recovery October 26, 2020 The highlights: • Between April and September, the Bay Area recovered just over 3370% of the jobs lost between February and April trailing the state and nation. The pace …
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China Oversteps
August 26, 2020 China’s recent actions are fueling the fire for a further divide with the United States. With China’s leadership overstepping, other countries have taken notice and are beginning to push back . This …
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Outlook for U.S. – China Relations
August 6, 2020 The United States’ relationship with China is under growing pressure as bilateral differences sharpen. Politics and economics are both in play on issues ranging from trade and investment to Huawei, security and …
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Silicon Valley Places Bets on India
July 30, 2020 With US-China relations at a low point and political pressure to decouple the two economies growing, companies in Silicon Valley are starting to look for alternative countries to engage with to expand …
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As the Coronavirus Strains US-China Relations Further, Ensuring That the Phase 1 Trade Deal Works will be Critical
July 8, 2020 With US-China relations at a low point and political pressure to decouple the two economies growing, it is important that the “Phase 1” trade deal signed in January be made to work. …
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Closing the Door to Talent Will Cost Jobs and Hurt Competitiveness
June 29, 2020 The Trump administration’s plan to suspend the issuance of H-1B and other temporary visas through the end of 2020 is a direct challenge to the business model that has made Silicon Valley …
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Taking the Pulse of U.S.-China Relations
June 26, 2020 Crises can bring people together, united by a common purpose, or it can drive them apart. So far, the Covid-19 crisis is driving the United States and China even farther apart. Sean …
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Taking the Pulse of US-China Relations
June 24, 2020 Article by Sean Randolph on Medium.com, June 19 2020 Crises can bring countries together, united by a common purpose, or it can drive them apart. So far, the COVID-19 crisis is driving …
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Racial Disparities in BART Usage During COVID-19 Pandemic
June 23, 2020 BART ridership has fallen less significantly at stations located in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of Black and Latinx residents. An analysis of year-over-year change in BART entries by station in the …
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F50 Global Capital Summit Roundtable with Sean Randolph
June 19, 2020 The F50 Global Capital Summit® (Summit) is Silicon Valley’s largest international investor conference. The spread of the coronavirus has highlighted the imperative for new technologies and solutions in the health and medical …
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The Silicon Valley Podcast with Shawn Flynn featuring Sean Randolph
June 19, 2020 Sean Randolph, the Institute’s Senior Director, appeared on the latest episode of the Silicon Valley Podcast with Shawn Flynn. This episode Sean Randolph and Shawn Flynn talk about: Which countries have the …
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What’s Next? Looking Back for Insights on the Economy
June 11, 2020 The COVID Economy As the Bay Area completes its 13th week since the original shelter-in-place order was put in place, the policy discussion has shifted from coordinating emergency response to COVID-19 toward …
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A Joint Declaration on the Importance of Collaboration, Open Trade, and Innovation in Tackling COVID-19
The Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance (GTIPA), a body of leading trade, economic and innovation think tanks around the world that work together to support growth through innovation and open market policies issued a …
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Rescue Trade
We are naturally focused these days on economic vulnerabilities close to home. As discussion turns to how business resumes, however, we also need to watch the global economy that we’re part of. Developments there point …
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What will the world look like when COVID-19 crisis is over?
Technology is central to our economy and society and will continue to shape our future. While the world shelters in place from the coronavirus and we all are riveted to the daily news cycle, planning …
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Which Sectors are Most Impacted by COVID-19? Estimating Job Losses in California
In California, 3.9 million new unemployment claims were filed over the last seven weeks. The pace of this job loss is unprecedented, as the same number of jobs have been lost in the last seven …
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Trends in Bay Area mobility in the wake of regional and statewide stay at home orders
The following visualizations depict how movement changed as the Bay Area and surrounding counties were told to stay home to prevent the continued spread of COVID-19 across the region. The Mobility Index shows the change …
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COVID-19 and the Economic Vulnerabilities in the Bay Area
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in the Bay Area. The Bay Area Council Economic Institute is here to help as our region grapples with the fallout of a global pandemic. In order to help inform our …
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COVID-19 and the Latest Data on Unemployment Claims
Data released this week by the U.S. Department of Labor shows the first major impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. While markets have been volatile for weeks—pricing in the possibility of broad spread …
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Technology, trade and the coronavirus: How global supply chains are set to change
The coronavirus will drive a shift in global manufacturing that could influence investment patterns for decades. This builds on factors that were already at work. One is automation, and the reduced importance of cheap labor …
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How Much Does it Cost to Construct One Unit of Below Market Housing in the Bay Area?
According to the 2019 California Tax Credit Allocation Committee staff reports, there were 23 new construction projects of below market housing, with a total of 1,912 units, across six counties of the nine-county Bay Area. …
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Net Domestic Migration in the Bay Area (2018)
According to newly released American Community Survey data, the nine-county Bay Area experienced a negative net domestic migration of 50,766 residents in 2018. This includes individuals relocating to and from all states across the U.S., …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Job Growth Slows Again But Continues to Outpace the State and Nation The highlights: • The Bay Area added 2,900 jobs in December (seasonally adjusted), following a gain of 4,200 jobs in November and 91,500 …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Job Growth Slows But Continues to Outpace the State and Nation The highlights: • The Bay Area added 3,900 jobs in November seasonally adjusted), following a gain of 4,900 jobs in October and 97,100 in …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Job Growth Continues, Unemployment Continues to Decline The highlights: • The Bay Area added 5,900 jobs in October seasonally adjusted), following a loss of 800 jobs in September (revised down and 104,000 in the past …
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The Future is Fresno: Exploring the Valley to Valley Connection
These are the installments of a series of two-pager papers that will be released by the Economic Institute which analyze the connection of the Central Valley and Silicon Valley. The #Valley2Valley connection is key to …
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UC Merced Delivers on Its Promise
Last month saw the opening of the newest buildings in UC Merced’s Merced 2020 Project, which when completed next year will virtually double the size of the campus and expand the number of students it …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Another Strong Month, Where Are We Finding the Workers? The highlights: • The Bay Area added 4,900 jobs in July (seasonally adjusted), continuing the gains of recent months. State job growth rebounded in May, June …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Another Strong Month, Where Are We Finding the Workers? The highlights: • The Bay Area added 12,900 jobs in June (seasonally adjusted), continuing the gains of recent months. State job growth rebounded in May and …
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SF Chronicle Open Forum: U.S.-China trade standoff risks resulting in a costly new normal
Sean Randolph, Senior Director of The Bay Area Council Economic Institute, recently published an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle outlining how the U.S.-China trade standoff has reached its current point, why a resolution has …
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12th Annual Economic Outlook: Regional and Global Trends to Watch in 2019
Is a looming recession about to hit? That question was on the top of everyone’s mind on February 8th as the Bay Area Council Economic Institute convened top public and private sector leaders to give …
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Bay Area-Sacramento Ties Strengthen California Economy
The Bay Area and Sacramento have much to gain from building stronger economic ties that can benefit both regions and the state overall. That was among the key messages Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman …
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Bay Area Population Growth is Slowing
The California Department of Finance released new county population estimates in December 2018 and they show a steady slowdown in the level of regional population growth. The main determinants of the slowdown are declines in …
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The consequences of ‘America First’ — a poorer, less secure U.S.
Sean Randolph, Senior Director of The Bay Area Council Economic Institute, recently published an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle outlining the dangers America will face moving forward if it continues to alienate its global …
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Bay Area GDP Surges in 2017, Now World’s 18th Largest Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis released metro area GDP estimates for 2017 on September 18, 2018. These estimates show very strong Bay Area growth in 2017, far outpacing the state and nation. Led by the …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Bay Area job growth continued in May. In May 2018 year over year job growth remained near recent levels with +82,600 (2.1%) and the number of deals for additional office space continued strong. Low unemployment …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Bay Area job growth rebounded sharply in April reversing slower growth in the first three months of 2018. By April 2018 year over year job growth rebounded to 89,100 (2.3%) and the number of deals …
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Institute Vice President Jeff Bellisario Speaks on High Speed Rail to Fresno
Economic Institute Vice President Jeff Bellisario spoke with Mike Colgan of KCBS on May 1 about the exciting future of a high speed rail connection between Fresno and the Bay Area. Reducing the commute time …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Bay Area job growth slowed in the first three months of 2018 much as it did in the summer of 2017. By March 2018 year over year job growth slowed to 71,900 (1.8%), the slowest …
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Sean Randolph on China in the SF Business Times
Published March 8, 2018 – China today is no longer just copying Western technology, but piecing together its own innovation system. With its expanding economy and a stronger role by government, the new technology strategy …
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Senior Director Sean Randolph Talks Infrastructure on KQED Forum
Sean Randolph, Senior Director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, appeared as a guest on KQED Forum on February 15. He spoke with host Michael Krasny and fellow guest Randy Rentschler, Director of Legislation …
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11th Annual Economic Forecast
The Bay Area Council Economic Institute held its 11th Annual Economic Forecast on Friday, January 19 at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The conference brought together top leaders in the public and private …
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11th Annual Economic Forecast Conference
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco 101 Market Street Friday, January 19, 2018 8:00am – 11:00am What is the economic outlook for the Bay Area in 2018 and beyond? How will national and international trends …
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The Economic Value of Water in United States’ Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Key Findings: San Francisco tops U.S. counties in economic value created per unit of water consumed. San-Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara tops U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas in economic value created per unit of water consumed; San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward has …
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Bay Area Job Watch
Bay Area job growth bounced back in October (+ 7,600 seasonally adjusted) but year over year job growth continues to decline. At the same time unemployment rates in October fell to the lowest levels since …