Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Updates from City Hall | Business News | Local Economic Trends | Education & Training
County Indoor Mask Requirement Update
& City Hall Hours

The County of Ventura again extended the indoor mask mandate on October 18th. It is expected to remain in effect until specific benchmarks are met. Read more here.

City Hall is open regular business hours:
Monday-Thursday 7:30 am to 5 pm
Alternate Fridays 8 am to 5 pm

Face coverings are required for all visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Prior to your visit to City Hall, check to see if your needs can be met online first at: www.toaks.org/virtualservices
Polystyrene is Out in 2022
The City's ordinance banning single-use disposable plastics (Polystyrene) will go into effect beginning January 2022. Read more here.
Changes to Commercial Trash and Recycling Coming in Jan. 2022

There are several changes to commercial trash, recycling, and organics coming in 2022. The City's Sustainability Division has been conducting outreach to our local business community over the past several months. Athens Services (the City's new waste hauler starting in 2022) has also engaged in outreach. Get the run-down on it all here. Need to multi-task? Watch a quick 20-minute presentation on the changes here.
Highlighted Resources
Tax Credit Opportunities
Our partners over at the Economic Development Collaborative also have an excellent Business Resource webpage highlighting other tax credit opportunities, among other resources and incentives. See here.
Hiring Resource
See the Ventura County Workforce Development Board's Resource Guide for locally-focused programs for both employers and job-seekers. (More.)
Guide for Electronic Planning Application Submittal
The City has transitioned to digital application submittals. Our Planning Division recently put together a helpful guide to walk you through electronic application submittals. See the Guide here.
Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance - Business Services
The Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance (VCREA) helps businesses save on energy and utility bills. Learn more here.
COVID-19 Financial Resource Opportunities
Our partners at the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce continue to accept applications for the Small Business Relief Fund. Grants up to $2,500 are awarded periodically. Learn more here.
See the latest information about all the Small Business Administration (SBA) financial relief programs here.
NEW BUSINESSES
GP Motorsports
GP Motorsports just completed tenant improvements of an industrial space for the storage and sale of classic and exotic vehicles located at 2649 Townsgate Road. (Link)
Viet Kitchen
Viet Kitchen opened at The Village at Newbury Park, located at 1025 Broadbeck Drive (previously occupied by Flame Broiler). (Link)
IN THE NEWS
Amgen completed an acquisition of Teneobio, Inc. in October. Read here.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics presented at the 9th annual Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) Conference in October on its research and treatment for atopic dermatitis. More here.

Atara Biotherapeutics presented results from its progressive Multiple Sclerosis at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS Congress). Learn more.

CLU dedicated its new science center in October. The $34 million Swenson Science Center is equipped with 12 teaching labs and 8 research labs. More here.

CLU's HUB 101 is hosting a Startup Weekend November 12-14th. Learn how to think, work and build like a startup. More information and registration here.

Takeda hosted a panel discussion at the 76th United Nations General Assembly focused on the importance of health systems strengthening. Read here.

Ventura County Civic Alliance (VCCA) is set to release its 2021 State of the Region Report and host an event to highlight findings on Wednesday, Nov 17th at Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center in Camarillo. More information and registration here.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES & JOBS BY INDUSTRY
Note: The economic impacts of COVID-19 continue to have a significant impact on unemployment rates.
City of Thousand Oaks
According to the California Employment Development Department, the preliminary Thousand Oaks September 2021 unemployment rate is 4.1% (down from a revised 5.2% in August 2021). This is the lowest unemployment rate since the onset of the pandemic. 

The City has a total of 62,400 in the labor force with 59,800 who are employed. 
Ventura County
The California Labor Market report shows Ventura County’s preliminary September 2021 unemployment rate at 5.3% (down from a revised 6.2% in August 2021). 

A total of 3,100 non-farm jobs were added in September 2021. However, a total of 2,100 jobs were lost; amounting to a net loss of 1,000 jobs. Job gains consisted of: 1,800 in Government; 900 in Educational and Health Services; 200 in Professional and Business Services; 100 in Manufacturing; and 100 in Trade, Transportation and Utilities. Job losses consisted of: 700 in Construction; 700 in Leisure and Hospitality; 600 in Financial Activities; and 100 in Other Services.
The chart above depicts COVID-era unemployment trends at the state, county and City levels. It shows the City of Thousand Oaks has maintained a lower unemployment rate than the county and state levels throughout the pandemic.
The chart above illustrates year-over-year jobs by industry sector across the Ventura County region. September 2021 data is a preliminary estimate.
AUTO SALES
A total of 1,118 new vehicles were sold in September 2021; a 6.6% decrease compared to August 2021 sales. And a 19.5% decrease Year-over-Year.

In addition, 917 pre-owned vehicles were sold in September.  
SALES TAX UPDATE
Quarter 2 2021
Second Quarter (April, May, June) 2021 local sales tax revenue was $9.67 million, a 39.5% increase from Second Quarter 2020. Sectors experiencing the largest year-over-year increases were General Consumer Goods (up 114.5%); Fuel & Service Stations (up 87.1%); and Restaurants & Hotels (up 69.5%). Other sectors experiencing increases were Autos & Transportation (up 38.6%), Building & Construction (up 18.9%), State & County Pool (up 18.5%), and Business & Industry (up 10.5%). Only two sectors experienced decreases in Q2; Transfers & Unidentified (down 13.9%), and Food & Drugs (down 2.9%).
Fiscal Year 2020-21
Sales tax revenue increased 10.9% in FY 2020-21 over the previous fiscal year; for a total of $35.2 million. Sectors experiencing the largest increases were Transfers & Unidentified (up 61.3%), State & County Pools (up 36.8%), and Autos and Transportation (up 16.6%). Other sectors experiencing increases included Building & Construction (13.3%), General Consumer Goods (up 2.8%), and Food & Drugs up 0.1%). Three sectors experienced a decrease in FY 2020-21 compared to the previous year; Fuel & Service Stations (down 11.3%), Restaurants & Hotels (down 9.4%), and Business & Industry (down 1.1%).
Economic Development Collaborative
See the latest schedule of upcoming no-cost education and training opportunities for June here.
SCORE - Ventura County
In addition to its no-cost mentoring services, SCORE is offering a variety of workshops this month on accounting, business formation, digital and social media marketing, and more. See here.
Women's Economic Ventures
Check out the great business training, advisory services, loan opportunities and more over at WEV. More here.
Ventura County Workforce Development Board
Employers can take advantage of free employment services and recruiting, on-the-job-training, skills enhancement, and customized training. See the new Workforce Resource Guide here.
Sage Publishing Free Business & Management Impact Resources
Locally-based Sage Publishing offers some great free resources focused on business and management issues of today and tomorrow. Webinars, articles, and more here.
CA Employment Development Department
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has a webpage with resources specifically for employers. See resources focused on Hiring and training, Work Sharing, and more here.
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