We at United Way of the Bay Area and East Bay EDA are proud to announce the launch of www.eastbayindicators.org – a website devoted to benchmarking annual economic, environmental, and social indicators for the East Bay region. This website is designed to assist our community and industry partners in understanding the East Bay’s challenges and opportunities during this time of economic uncertainty.
The 2009 data compiled for eastbayindicators.org underscores the severe impact of the global economic crisis on the East Bay region. From real estate and construction, to employment and international trade, the fundamental elements of the East Bay economy have incurred a major correction over the previous 12 months. Though further losses are projected in many areas, as we publish this report there are also signs that a recovery is in sight for some sectors.
In the 2008 East Bay Indicators, we focused on the need for government, business, and nonprofit leaders to come together during what was then the beginning of what we now know to be a dramatic shift in economic activity. To this end, over the past year East Bay EDA and United Way of the Bay Area have collaborated in various partnerships on projects as broad as the Bay Area’s Economic Recovery Plan, targeted projects such as individual business retention efforts, and the expansion of in-depth social and economic data on both organizations’ websites.
We have also produced a downloadable “executive summary”, highlighting the major components of the East Bay’s economic, social and environmental status, and we hope that our members, partners and others will use it as a gateway to the expanded data sets available at eastbayindicators.org. Both East Bay EDA and United Way of the Bay Area are committed to continuing to support the cross-sector partnerships that have been forged over the past year and to fostering new collaborative efforts that capitalize on the strengths of our region and address its challenges. We look forward to working with each of you as we move the East Bay toward a sustainable recovery that benefits communities in our region.
Best regards, Keith Carson |
Anne Wilson |