growing incomes 2 map

Image from SmartAsset.

Between 2015 and 2016 Long Beach’s median household income grew by 9.3 percent, making it the 11th largest increase among the nation’s 100 largest cities, as included in a recent report from SmartAsset, using data from the United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey

“The local economy in Long Beach is booming which is why household incomes are increasing faster than in most cities,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement this week. “We have focused on smart economic policies that have created new businesses, thousands of good jobs, and economic opportunity for all people.”

In September, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation named the city a finalist for Most Business Friendly City in Los Angeles County, the second time in 2017 that Long Beach has been acknowledged as a business friendly city. Last year, the business community recognized Long Beach as one of the five most business friendly cities in the county, according to BizFed, an alliance of 150 business groups representing over 270,000 companies throughout the county.

Plans to build on these recent economic successes are in the works, including a Draft Blueprint for Economic Development which provides a snapshot of Long Beach’s economic trends and makes recommendations to the mayor and city council on opportunities for growth in key industries, business assistance and economic inclusion among other focus areas, according to the release. The Blueprint is a collaboration between the Economic Development Commission and the Economic Development Department in response to a request by Garcia and city council.


 

.“The Blueprint has been a terrific resource for us,” John Keisler, director of the Department of Economic Development, said in a statement. “We now have a plan to increase economic opportunities for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs.”

For more information about workforce training programs and incentives for businesses to hire new workers, the city offers programs at the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network, which you can check out here

Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].