For decades, young people chose to move to cities and large metros for greater opportunity. Since the pandemic, that migration has reversed.
The area’s three largest cities set all-time highs for vacancy rates in the downtown districts during the second quarter, with San Francisco at 36.8 percent, Oakland at 31.8 and San Jose at 31.5. Office vacancies in Silicon Valley overall was 19.5 percent.
Gov. Jim Pillen ordered state workers back in the office at the start of the year, but the employees union balked. A labor court said the union had "engaged in a pattern of willful, flagrant, aggravated, persistent and pervasive prohibited misconduct."
Two executives at Done, a California-based telehealth company, were indicted for allegedly scheming to provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants to patients who didn’t need them.
Most government employees at the state and local level have returned to their respective offices at least part time, but some legislators and other officials want to make in-person work mandatory.
The state grew by more than 67,000 people in 2023, quelling concerns about the “California exodus” during the pandemic. California lost about 264,500 fewer people to other states last year than in 2021.
A real estate consultant estimated that San Diego could go from 2,780 downtown employees using 819,000 square feet of space to 3,060 employees in just 580,000 square feet with small adjustments.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2024-2025 does not include any funding for the state’s Telework Compliance Office, which oversaw the rollout of telework during the pandemic and maintains telework data.
Companies are still trying to get their workers back into offices across the nation, while the percentage of San Antonians working from home continues to decline. By comparison, more than twice the share of workers are still remote in Austin.
Tight labor markets can be hard on corporations. But they can help marginal workers find jobs.
There’s no sensible reason to keep doing it. States could opt out, but most do not. Congress should act, and there’s a 30-minute solution.
A new report, using new, more granular data sets, compares the recovery of 26 downtowns. Those with a mix of land uses, jobs and residents are faring the best, it says.
People in struggling communities can benefit from the work-from-home phenomenon. But they need some mentoring to do it. Some innovative startups are getting them there.
The agency’s staff has had to investigate and correct almost 19,000 errors in court records transmitted to the DMV since four counties began piloting the eCourts system. DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin is worried about the Oct. 9 rollout.
The transition, which begins Oct. 9, will allow the public to find information, pay fines and fees and file court documents online. But many are concerned about the challenges that could come with online court work.
Cash grants to get remote workers to relocate may sound like desperation. But they can actually work, generating a buzz and bringing in new blood.
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Future in Context
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