The Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board hired BW Research Partnership to develop the 2023 State of the Workforce Report which provides valuable insights and data on the County's workforce. The comprehensive report details the growing and declining industries, employment and unemployment, job quality, demographics, training and education, housing and infrastructure, remote work and commute patterns, and the current business climate. Collected with extensive input from industry experts, local community partners and employers, and government bodies, the report explores key trends, challenges, a holistic view of the labor market, and captures and analyzes several other pieces of data that impact the everyday lives of the workforce in Santa Cruz County.

The report was recently finished and released to the public. We will share a view key points noted in the report but strongly encourage you to read the full report linked below to get the full picture.

State of the Workforce

1. “Employment growth in 2022 has surpassed that of both California and the US (Figure 1). In fact, between 2017 and 2022, the County has gained 9,100 jobs, or a 9% increase in jobs compared to four percent statewide and three percent nationally during this same time period. Nonetheless, the County's 2023 unemployment rate remains higher than statewide and national averages”

2. “The recent jobs additions have been primarily concentrated in higher-paying industries. Defense, Aerospace, Transportation, and Manufacturing (DATM) saw the largest proportional increase, growing by 222% during this time. This industry cluster is also the highest paying in the region, with average annual earnings of $142,000 per year. Other industries such as Healthcare, Biotechnology and Biomedical Devices, and Logistics also added a substantial number of jobs during this time”

Living in Santa Cruz County

1. “The south sub-region of Santa Cruz County has a younger population with a higher percentage of Hispanic and Latino residents. According to Figure 12, 30% of individuals over 24 years old, in southern Santa Cruz County, have not completed high school or an educational equivalency”

2. “Housing continues to be a central issue in Santa Cruz County. Four-in-ten residents are renters, and nearly half (45%) of renters, in Northern Santa Cruz County, spend 35% or more of their total income on housing.”