Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC), a non‐profit economic development organization announces a relaunch of its ECONOMIC DASHBOARD, an internet‐based resource designed to help all persons have a better understanding of the local economy.

Through a partnership between the EVC and the California Business Roundtable, the EVC ECONOMIC DASHBOARD displays real‐time information from many data sources in a format which users can absorb at‐a‐glance. Statistics on forty economic indicators such as unemployment, private sector jobs, and average annual wages are grouped into four categories: Productivity, Quality of Life, Industry Clusters and Workforce Preparedness. These incorporate sixteen new data sets, including a breakdown of certain clusters of industry in San Luis Obispo County. This resource allows people to place a finger on the pulse of our local economy. It centralizes our economic indicators to serve as a resource to residents, educators, businesses, and government.

Supported by the County Office of Education’s SLO Partners program as the lead sponsor, and Dignity Health, the Economic Dashboard is benefiting people of all ages and occupations by tracking trends about the changes in jobs and industry sectors, as well as insights into career pathways. “Having such an excellent resource is important for policy makers, business leaders and citizens,” said Jolie Ditmore, Chair of the EVC  Board of Directors.  “Students for instance  can compare annual wages in the six largest employment sectors, which may impact their education and career paths. Businesses can utilize the workforce preparedness statistics to assist in growth strategies.”

“Providing such relevant and up‐to‐date information about our economy and community helps everyone make better‐informed decisions. A key advantage of the dashboard is how user‐friendly it is,” said Michael Manchak, EVC’s President and CEO. Manchak also stated. “With a quick scroll, we can see how the number of jobs, for example, in the industry clusters have changed over the last year. Users can also access figures to previous quarters, as far back as 2017. Having access to real‐time trends and data about the economy at your fingertips empowers people and leads to greater civic engagement. We’re proud to offer such a valuable resource to our community.”

“California is the 5th largest economy in the world,” said Kirk Clark, Executive Vice President, of the California Business Roundtable, the development partner on this project. “But what is often missed is the complex and diverse picture of the many regional economies throughout the state. By partnering with the EVC to develop this dashboard, our goal is to equip local decision‐makers and help them to grow a healthy local economy that is representative of their unique attributes.”

For access the Economic Dashboard please visit: www.sloevc.org/dashboard

ABOUT Economic Vitality Corporation

Established in 1994, the Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC) serves all of San Luis Obispo County as a non‐profit economic development organization. We are committed to stimulating the region’s economic vitality by creating jobs, fostering investment, and promoting business. (805) 788‐2012 www.sloevc.org

ABOUT California Business Roundtable

The California Business Roundtable is a non‐partisan organization comprised of the senior executive leadership of the major employers throughout the state – with a combined workforce of more than half a million employees. For more than thirty‐five years, the Roundtable has identified the issues critical to a healthy business climate and provided the leadership needed to strengthen California’s economy and create jobs. www.centerforjobs.org

ABOUT SLO Partners

Formed under the aegis of the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education in 2014, SLO Partners helps address career readiness among the student population. Their mission is to engage business partners and educators in aligning workforce needs with career and college pathways. It provides programs for work experience opportunities to ensure that students have the skills and knowledge necessary. www.slopartners.org

ABOUT Dignity Health

Dignity Health Central Coast is comprised of hospitals, all recognized for their quality of care, safety and service, primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically advanced imaging centers, outpatient services and comprehensive home health services. Hospitals in the Dignity Health Central Coast region include Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. https://www.dignityhealth.org/central‐coast/about‐us