Daily Business Report-April 18, 2014
San Diego County Jobless Rate Falls to 6.9 Percent
San Diego County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent in March, down from 7 percent in February and below the year-ago estimate of 7.8 percent, the state Employment Development Department Reported today.
California’s unemployment rate for the same period was 8.4 percent. The national jobless rate was 6.8 percent.
Between February and March:
Total nonfarm employment increased from 1,322,500 to 1,335,200, a gain of 12,700 jobs. Agricultural employment gained 400 jobs, or 4.2 percent.
Leisure and hospitality recorded the greatest month-over gain, adding 3,400 jobs. Accommodation and food services (up 2,200) accounted for more than 60 percent of the job growth in this sector, primarily from food services and drinking places (up 1,900). Arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,200 jobs.
Educational and health services gained 2,400 jobs. Health care and social assistance (up 1,400) contributed to more than half of the employment growth in this industry, mainly from ambulatory health care services (up 900). Educational services added 1,000 jobs; all from colleges, universities, and professional schools.
Eight other nonfarm industries also reported job growth over the month. The most significant gains came from government (up 2,100) and construction (up 2,000). Mining and logging reported no change in employment levels.
Between March 2013 and March 2014:
Total nonfarm employment increased by 32,600 jobs, or 2.5 percent. Agricultural employment gained 300 jobs, or 3.1 percent.
Professional and business services posted the greatest year-over gain, adding 6,500 jobs. Professional, scientific, and technical services grew by 6,700 jobs, followed by an increase of 1,000 jobs in management of companies and enterprises. Administrative and support and waste services (down 1,200) offset the overall job growth in this sector.
Seven other nonfarm industries also recorded employment growth over the year. The most notable job gains came from leisure and hospitality (up 6,100), construction (up 5,800), and educational and health services (up 5,000).
Two sectors reported year-over job losses: financial activities (down 400) and information (down 100).
Cross-Border Airport Plan Clears Final Hurdle
A groundbreaking plan for a privately funded international port of entry linking San Diego directly to Tijuana’s A.L. Rodriguez International Airport appears to have cleared its final hurdle, the U-T San Diego reports.
It would allow departing airline passengers to park their cars in San Diego and walk across a bridge to board a plane in Tijuana. For arriving passengers, it would provide a U.S. Customs facility allowing them to circumvent lengthy border waits at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.
The project’s U.S. developer, Otay-Tijuana Venture, has agreed to build the Customs inspection facility and pay for staffing, said R. Gil Kerlikowske, newly named commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“My understanding is that the Department of State notified the government of Mexico about the construction that will occur beginning in May,” Kerlikowske said Thursday in an interview before a binational round-table discussion hosted by the South County Economic Development Council.
The new port of entry, unique on the U.S.-Mexico border, is a for-profit private venture that would be financed through toll-paying ticketed airline passengers who fly into and out of the Tijuana airport.
Plans call for a 525-foot long pedestrian bridge leading from the Tijuana airport terminal to a 65,000-square foot structure on the U.S. side that includes an inspection area staffed seven days a week by CBP officers.
Rady School Gets $1 Million Endowment
The Rady School of Management at the UC San Diego announced the establishment of the Carol Lazier and Family Endowed Chair in Social Innovation and Impact. The $1 million endowment will help establish the Center for Social Innovation and Impact (CSII) at the Rady School.
The endowment will also attract and support faculty leaders in the area of social venturing. Social venturing initiatives encompass domains such as education, poverty and health, and highlight the premise that the success of an enterprise is not solely measured by profits and losses, but also by its broader impact on the well-being of society.
“With this generous endowment from Carol Lazier and family, the Rady School will have the opportunity to create a lasting difference through social ventures in San Diego and around the world,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan.
Bar Association Celebrates Law Week
The San Diego County Bar Association’s (SDCBA) annual Law Week celebration takes place April 28 through May 2. Law Week celebrates the importance of the rule of law and community service, and throughout the week San Diego’s legal community will provide programs designed to assist and educate the community at large.
This year’s Law Week events for the public include:
April 7 — May 2: Children At Risk Book Drive
The SDCBA’s Children At Risk Committee will be collecting new or gently used children’s books during the annual Book Drive. The Book Drive will run from April 7 through May 2. Book donations for children in kindergarten through grade 12 are accepted. For a list of book drop-off locations, visit www.sdcba.org/bookdrive.
April 29: SDCBA Ask-A-Lawyer Program
The SDCBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service will host a free Ask-A-Lawyer program offering the public the opportunity to speak with attorneys from a wide range of practice areas at no charge over the phone or via Facebook. Between 4 and 7 p.m. on April 29, anyone can call (619) 321-4159 to speak with an attorney.
April 30: San Diego Law Library “Family Law Clinic”
The Law Library will hold a family law clinic at the Downtown library (1105 Front St.) from 10 a.m. to noon. The public is invited to stop by to speak with an attorney, at no charge, for general guidance on family law matters.
May 2: Family Law Facilitators Program
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office of the San Diego Superior Court, together with volunteer attorneys, will answer legal questions and provide free family law information to the public at the Downtown Family Courthouse (1555 Sixth Ave., San Diego) from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., and in South Bay (500 Third Ave., 1st Floor Chula Vista) from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
San Diego Start-Up Week Set for June 17-21
The second annual San Diego Start-Up Week, organized by StartUP San Diego, is set for Tuesday, June 17, to Saturday, June 21. The main events include a conference on women in technology, panel discussions, and start-up crawls (where attendants will tour several Downtown incubators.) Participants will comprise of entrepreneurs, top-tier investors, talented service providers, and high profile community supporters.
Details of the event are available here…
Opera Board Shakeup:
President Resigns; Some Members Walk Out
A meeting of the San Diego Opera’s board of directors Thursday resulted in a shakeup in the organization’s top leadership spots.
Board President Karen Cohn walked out of the meeting along with a group of other members. Another board member told KPBS that Cohn had resigned. Board member Faye Wilson also walked out early, as did opera director Ian Campbell. According to sources who did not wish to be named, roughly 30 of the board’s 50 members remain active with the group.
Board secretary Carol Lazier was named acting board president. Earlier this month, Lazier donated $1 million to exploring a new way forward for the opera company.
Thursday’s meeting was aimed at finding ways to make the 49-year-old opera company more financially sound. Last month, the opera board voted to shut down, citing a decline in ticket sales and lack of donations.
The board meeting took place so a six-member special committee could pitch some cost-cutting ways to present opera. The committee brought in Opera America consultant Kevin Smith, who led the Minnesota Opera for 30 years and is credited with more than doubling attendance there, to help sway the directors. During a break, Smith told reporters there was a “healthy discussion” of future options.
