Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Updates from City Hall | Business News | Local Economic Trends | Education & Training
Ventura County Now in Yellow Tier

As of 12:01am, County of Ventura is now in the Yellow Tier for COVID-19 restrictions. This is the State's least restrictive tier.
See this Ventura County News Channel article for addition information.

To revisit the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, see here.
General Plan Update
Last Tuesday (May 25th), City Council endorsed the Land Use Map with modifications. See more and stay tuned on next steps here: https://www.toaks2045.org/  
City Participating in BioMedLey virtual event (June 15th)
On Tuesday, June 15th from 5:30pm - 6:30pm, the City will be participating in BioMedley; a virtual event organized by the BioScience Alliance and hosted by California Lutheran University (CLU).

This virtual event will welcome Jane Wells from CNBC, who will be interviewing biotech and life sciences leaders about what's happening here locally. The event will also feature music from local scientist musicians. See more & register.
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
Cork Dork
Cork Dork, a boutique wine bar, opened at North Pavilion 1125 Lindero Canyon Road. (Link)
Fierce Ave BBQ
Fierce Ave BBQ, offering Asian Fusion dishes, is now open at 1714 Newbury Road. (Link)
The Mighty Axe
Like beer and throwing axes? The Mighty Axe has opened in the Janss Marketplace located at 215 N. Moorpark Rd. (Link)
Nick the Greek
Nick the Greek is now offering Gyros and other Greek cuisine at 3955 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. (Link)
IN THE NEWS
Designworks (BMW), has set itself ambitious goals to increase sustainability. To achieve this aim, the company is inviting startups worldwide to participate in the Open Call 360° Sustainability Challenge. (Press Release) 

Millennium Clinical Trails, LLC., a research institute with facilities here in Thousand Oaks, has been selected to take part in a nationwide study to help find new treatments for COVID-19. (Acorn) 

Skyworks Solutions, Inc., a semiconductor manufacturer Reports Q2 FY21 Results; Delivers Record Second Quarter Revenue of $1.172 Billion, up 53% Y-o-Y. (Press Release) 

Takeda recently reported positive FY2020 earnings. Growth expected to accelerate in FY2021 (Press Release). The pharmaceutical company also recently joined Biomarkers Consortium project in Mucosal Healing in Ulcerative Colitis launched by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FNIH News).

Ventura County Airport Master Plan: The County recently hosted its first public workshop on is master planing process. Learn more about the economic impact of our local airports and the planning process 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 April 2021 unemployment rate is 5.0% (up slightly from a revised 4.9% in March 2021). The City has a total of 61,600 in the labor force with 58,500 who are employed. 
Ventura County
The California Labor Market report shows Ventura County’s preliminary April 2021 unemployment rate at 6.2% (down from a revised 6.4% in March 2021). 

A total of 4,400 non-farm jobs were added in April 2021. However, a total of 400 jobs were lost; amounting to a net gain of 4,000 jobs. Job gains consisted of: 3,200 in Leisure and Hospitality; 500 in Educational and Health Services; 400 in Professional and Business Services; 200 in Other Services; and 100 in Construction. Job losses consisted of: 300 in Trade, Transportation and Utilities; and 100 in Financial Activities.
AUTO SALES
A total of 1,767 new vehicles were sold in April 2021; a 6% increase compared to March 2021 sales, and 243% increase compared to a year ago.

In addition, 1,091 pre-owned vehicles were sold in April.  
SALES TAX UPDATE
Fourth Quarter (October, November, December) 2020 local sales tax revenue was $9.1 million, a 2.4% decrease from Fourth Quarter 2019. Sectors experiencing the largest year-over-year decreases included: Fuel and Service Stations (down 36%); Restaurants and Hotels (down 32.1%); and General Consumer Goods (down 20.2%). These reductions were mostly offset by increased in sales taxes in the following sectors: County/State Pools and Transfers (up 39%); Building and Construction (up 15.5%); and Auto and Transportation (up 4.2%)
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. Learn more here.
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