New Report Details Economic Data and Lays Case for More Opportunity in Stanislaus By Catherine Larsen / Marketing and Communications Lead, Stanislaus 2030 Despite a decade of steady job growth ranking among the best nationwide, Stanislaus County’s economy and residents confront continuing challenges to shared prosperity and wealth-building. Nearly 40% of families in the County are working but still struggle to meet basic living expenses and accumulate savings that enable economic mobility. Alongside comparatively low educational attainment and a high cost of living, the region’s economic performance yields a significant gap in the number of quality jobs available to residents.
Understanding the lived experience of our community members is a critical part of the Stanislaus 2030 process. With the support of our local community engagement team Debrief, residents from across Stanislaus County have the opportunity to share their voices in many ways, including focus groups, community meetings and forums. That means the work groups will have the benefit of learning from the experiences of Stanislaus County residents, along with the data provided in the market assessment, as the strategies are being designed.
This is just one piece of the illuminating data provided by Brookings Institution, taken from the quantitative and qualitative market assessment of Stanislaus County, released publicly today.
Ultimately, this work is just the first step of a journey that extends well beyond 2030. Today, Stanislaus 2030 is releasing the Executive Summary and supporting data that informs the next phase of our initiative, the activation of our work groups. The Executive Summary provides an overview of the market assessment, a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of the region’s economic performance and competitive position. This assessment offers a common evidence base and considerations for diverse stakeholders to jointly make decisions on economic and workforce priorities, strategic responses, and how to implement them.
While these dynamics are sobering, they are also not new or surprising to County leaders and residents. For years, regional strategies have raised the need for economic diversification to support more good jobs locally and reduce the numbers of residents commuting hours to better-paying jobs in the Bay Area and neighboring counties. “Stanislaus 2030 was born out of the desire to intentionally build resilient future industries aligned around our strong agricultural base, and at the same time, ensure greater financial prosperity for local families,” says Dillon Olvera, Stanislaus 2030 Co-Chair and President and CEO, Beard Land and Investment Co. Stanislaus 2030 is a collaboration among business, government, and civic stakeholders to create and deliver a joint strategy and investment plan by summer 2022, for regional economic growth and opportunity in the coming decade.
“This is our opportunity to take bold action towards a more prosperous future for Stanislaus County families,” says Yamilet Valladolid, Stanislaus 2030 Co-Chair and Director of Government and Community Affairs, Golden Valley Health Centers. Visit Stanislaus2030.com to view the Executive Summary and all reports.
ADVOCACY
“If this effort sounds like a tall order, it is. This type of work, both multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder, is often messy and not attempted often. It requires many actors to grapple with data while seeking a deep understanding of residents’ experiences and highest aspirations,” says Marian Kaanon, CEO, Stanislaus Community Foundation, and partner in the Stanislaus 2030 initiative. “But other communities across our state, and nation, have seen great results from doing this type of work, bringing in millions of dollars of government, private and philanthropic funds to their communities. We have a unique opportunity right now to do the same thing in Stanislaus County.” Crosssector, multi-stakeholder work groups will meet from late April to June, developing strategies to be included in an investment plan, published later this summer. JUNE 2022
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