NEW REPORTS PROVIDE LENS INTO ECONOMIC HEALTH OF CITY, BUSINESS DISTRICTS

Berkeley, California (Friday, December 18, 2015) - Berkeley's economy is strong and getting stronger, although some structural challenges, such as inequity and high housing prices, persist.

Those findings are part of a series of new reports created by the City's Office of Economic Development to provide data and analysis for residents, businesses and others to better understand the economic life of the City and its business districts.

Small businesses play a particularly critical role in Berkeley's economy. These reports - a Citywide economic dashboard, an analysis of commercial districts and a Citywide economic and demographic profile - are intended to help businesses make decisions as they seek to evolve while giving others a lens into the economic base of our neighborhoods.

The Citywide findings are in the Berkeley Economic Dashboard, a six-month snapshot of economic performance and trends in employment, real estate, development, sales tax, and other key indicators. The economic development office plans to update these dashboards every 6 months.

The Commercial District Dashboards provide a more focused look at economic performance in nine of Berkeley's neighborhood commercial districts. Businesses and community members can use this report to analyze the business mix, storefront vacancy, and sales tax trends in their district. OED plans to update these reports annually.

The Berkeley Economic & Demographic Profile provides broad information on Berkeley's population, business sectors and amenities. The City Profile is a tool for businesses, commercial brokers, researchers, community stakeholders, and other people seeking more information about Berkeley.

For further detail, please see a staff report and presentation given to the City Council on December 15. These and other Economic Development reports are available at www.cityofberkeley.info/oed/reports/

For more information, contact the Office of Economic Development via email at ecodev@cityofberkeley.info or telephone at (510) 981-7530. 

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