California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the Medtronic campus in Irvine on Wednesday to receive Orange County’s comprehensive economic development plan aimed at boosting local industry and job creation.
The plan is part of California Jobs First, an initiative launched by Newsom in 2021 during the pandemic that divides the state into 13 distinct economic regions. Each region, including Orange County which operates as its own region, received $5 million in 2022 to develop area-specific strategies for economic growth.
“Los Angeles, or even the folks up there near Eureka, they all got $5 million,” Newsom said during Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s about regions rising together.”
In 2024, each region received an additional $9 million in “catalyst” funding to transform strategies into implementation-ready projects that can compete for federal, state, and private funding opportunities. According to Newsom, these investments have already shown results statewide, with nearly $1.6 billion invested last year to train more than 142,000 workers and create over 61,000 new jobs across California.
The Orange County Business Council spearheaded the development of the region’s economic plan. Jeffrey Ball, President and CEO of the council, presented what he jokingly called a “modest, 700-page” framework to Governor Newsom during the conference.
“We contracted with 27 organizations, trusted messengers in our communities,” Ball explained. “With their engagement, we deployed surveys, social media, canvassing, community forums and more, working in 11 different languages to get input on what a stronger, more equitable and climate-forward economy should look like in Orange County.”
The planning process was extensive, involving a steering committee of 70 organizations and individuals, which gathered input from over 5,000 respondents. The catalyst funding is supporting 46 projects ranging from wildfire recovery job training to healthcare placement programs for neurodivergent individuals.
Orange County has designated $1 million to support its priority industry sectors: healthcare, med-tech, childcare, semiconductor, and tourism. The medical technology industry is particularly vital to the county’s economy, employing more than 21,000 workers. According to the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce, of the 1,552 major medical device and equipment companies in California, more than 235 are located in Orange County.
When asked about California ranking second in employment cuts nationwide last year, with at least 158,700 workers affected by November as reported by the Orange County Register, Newsom addressed the challenges directly.
“That’s exactly why we’re here. That’s what these strategies are about,” Newsom responded. “We’re losing manufacturing jobs. Why? Because of tariffs. Because of mass deportations and the impact that it’s having on labor force participation.”
He noted that these impacts are “disproportionate in the state of California” and particularly affect tourism, which is “a big part of the Orange County thing.”
“So we recognize our approach needs to be organic,” the governor concluded. “To the 5,000 people who participated in the plan, job well done. We have a lot more work to do.”
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