Daily Business Report-July 17, 2015
County Unemployment Rate 5 Percent in June
Nonfarm employment up 4,100 jobs over the month; up 38,500 jobs over the year
San Diego County’s unemployment rate for June was 5 percent, an increase from 4.9 percent in May, but below the year-ago estimate of 6,4 percent, the state Employment Department reported today.
This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.2 percent for California and 5.5 percent for the nation during the same period.
Between May and June:
Total nonfarm employment increased from 1,386,100 to 1,390,200, a gain of 4,100 jobs. Agricultural employment increased by 100 jobs, or 0.9 percent.
• Trade, transportation and utilities and financial activities reported the greatest month- over gain, adding 1,300 jobs each. Government followed with an addition of 1,100 jobs, advances in local government (up 1,500 jobs) were offset by a decline in state government (down 500 jobs). Federal government gained 100 payroll jobs.
• Four other sectors also posted job growth. Employment increases were reported in manufacturing (up 1,000 jobs); leisure and hospitality (up 800 jobs); construction (up 300 jobs); and professional and business services (up 100 jobs).
• The largest employment decline was reported in other services (down 1,600 jobs). Mining and logging, as well as information, remained unchanged between May and June.
Between June 2014 and June 2015:
Total nonfarm employment increased by 38,500 jobs, or 2.8 percent. Agricultural employment increased by 700 jobs, or 6.9 percent.
• Professional and business services reported the greatest year-over gain, adding 9,400 jobs. Over eighty percent of the increase was in professional, scientific and technical services (up 7,800 jobs)
• Eight other industries also posted increases. The most notable employment expansion was reported by educational and health services (up 7,800 jobs) with almost ninety percent of the gain in health care and social assistance.
• The only year over job decline was reported in other services with a loss of 200 payroll jobs. Employment in mining and logging remained unchanged over the year.
Urban Water Use Plummets
Region responds to state water-use mandates in a big way
Urban potable water use in San Diego County declined by approximately 26 percent in June compared to June 2013, according to preliminary numbers released by the San Diego County Water Authority. That follows a decrease of 30 percent in May compared to May 2013 — an accomplishment that was aided by unusually cool and wet weather.
June was the first month in which the State Water Resources Control Board required compliance with conservation targets set for each local water agency. State-mandated targets for Water Authority member agencies are between 12 and 36 percent below 2013 levels.
“Residents and businesses across San Diego County did a great job saving water in June even though temperatures returned to being higher than normal — but we have to keep it up through the rest of the summer and beyond,” said Mark Weston, chair of the Water Authority’s board of directors. “I’m so proud to be part of a community that comes together during difficult situations. Together, we are making a big difference.”
Conserved water in San Diego County can remain in storage for future use, a valuable asset should drought conditions continue into 2016 or beyond.
As a wholesale water agency, the Water Authority coordinates drought response actions for the region. The regional drought response strategy centers on decreasing ornamental landscape irrigation first to minimize the economic disruption caused by cuts to water used by industrial, commercial and farming operations.
UC San Diego Health Buys
Naming Rights to Trolley Line
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s Blue Line, which runs from San Ysidro to Downtown, is going to be renamed the UC San Diego Blue Line, a change that will give MTS an annual fee of $675,000 from the health facility. The line is scheduled to extend to Old Town, UC San Diego’s La Jolla campus and beyond.
The renaming was in collaboration with UC San Diego Health.
“The health system has long been committed to playing an important and positive role in the life and lives of this region and its residents,” said Paul Viviano, chief executive officer of UC San Diego Health. “This agreement is a figurative and literal reflection of that commitment. It represents a new, smart and sustainable way for San Diegans to visit, learn and access the diverse services we offer.”
MTS is currently working in conjunction with the San Diego Association of Governments, the California Department of Transportation, elected officials and other stakeholders to develop and complete the 11-mile Blue Line extension (Mid-Coast Project) from Old Town to University Town Center by 2019.
The 30-year agreement includes naming rights to three stations on the line: the existing station at Old Town, to be renamed Old Town UC San Diego Health South, and planned stations at the UC San Diego main campus and at the health campus in La Jolla, which includes UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center, slated to open in 2016.
MTS will receive an annual fee, beginning at $675,000 with subsequent increases tied to Mid-Coast project completion and the local Consumer Price Index. All funding for the sponsorship is from non-state sources.
LGBT History Focus of New Study
The State Office of Historic Preservation has selected the city of San Diego to receive a $30,000 grant to help preserve local sites associated with the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
The grant follows on the heels of the tearing down of a small house at Florida Street and El Cajon Boulevard where organizers formed what was to become the LGBT Community Center.
“This work will help us identify potential historic resources that should be preserved,” said Councilmember Todd Gloria. “I’m grateful to the state for recognizing this need, city staff for pursuing the funds, and Lambda Archives for advocating so strongly for this needed study.”
Said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins: “This project will help us recognize and forever memorialize the places in San Diego that have played vital roles in the story of the city’s LGBTQ community.”
The City Council will be asked to formally accept the funds at its meeting on July 28, just as Pride Month draws to a close, and the work is expected to begin shortly thereafter. The $30,000 state grant must be matched with $20,000 of city resources, which includes staff time in administering the grant, participating in the development of the context, and editing.
County Sees Rise in Home Prices, Sales
City News Service
The median price of a home in San Diego County rose by 5.8 percent in June, compared with the same month a year ago, while the number of homes soared by 20.8 percent, a real estate information service announced Thursday.
According to CoreLogic, the median price of a San Diego County home was $476,000 last month, up from $450,000 in June 2014. A total of 4,467 homes were sold in the county, up from 3,698 during the same month the previous year.
A total of 24,378 new and resale houses and condos changed hands in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month, according to CoreLogic. That was down 12.1 percent from 21,754 in May and up 18.1 percent from 20,635 in June 2014.
The median price for a Southern California home was $442,000 in June, up 2.8 percent from $430,000 in May and up 5.7 percent from $418,000 in June 2014.
“Southern California’s June home sales were the highest since summer 2006 — the tail end of the last housing boom — CC and sales haven’t risen this sharply on a year-over-year basis in nearly three years,” said Andrew LePage, a data analyst for CoreLogic. “Continued job growth, low mortgage rates, more confident consumers and other factors have put more wind in the housing market’s sails.”
Map Technology to Take Center Stage in San Diego
More than 16,000 people from 120 countries around the world are expected to converge in San Diego to discuss the power of maps and applying geography at the 2015 Esri User Conference July 20-24 at the San Diego Convention Center.
The conference and related events will feature a variety of speakers.
“We have millions of users around the globe who do amazing things with our technology every day,” said Esri President Jack Dangermond. “The User Conference is our opportunity to recognize their important work, learn from them, and empower them with even better tools and techniques to continue their mission.”
Esri is a leader in geographic information system (GIS) software development.
Featured speakers will include operations staff from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, executives from JPMorgan Chase, the director of Strategic Cooperation at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, and the president and CEO of the National Geographic Society. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley headlines a list of innovators from across every industry who will demonstrate how geospatial technology can make government smarter, combat global health challenges, ensure public safety, and drive greater revenues for businesses.
USC Eyes Big Presence in San Diego
For the first time since a bitter dispute over Alzheimer’s research erupted between the University of Southern California and UC San Diego, USC’s provost revealed the scope of the school’s ambitions in San Diego. “This can be a win across the board,” he said. San Diego Union-Tribune
Upcoming SCORE Workshops
Personnel Announcements
Kirk O’Brien Joins Xpera Group
Kirk O’Brien, an award-winning architect and past president of the AIA San Diego chapter, has joined Xpera Group to lead its new architectural division.
In private practice for 24 years as principal of Aedifice Ideas>Architecture in San Diego, O’Brien has designed almost every building type over the years, with a primary focus on multi-family residential work. He has drafted and overseen production of construction documents for hundreds of projects. His work has earned him recognition from the AIA, San Diego Housing Federation and National Association of Home Builders.
O’Brien routinely consults as a peer/plan review specialist, assisting in waterproofing quality assurance and providing construction phase inspections and window testing. He has served on numerous advisory boards and committees within the city of San Diego, and was selected to participate in the re-writing of the statewide disaster response manual.
