Building a Community-Led, Climate-Forward Economy
California Jobs First invests in key sectors to drive sustainable economic growth, innovation, and access to good-paying jobs.
How We Got Here
This first-of-its-kind investment into a bottom-up economic development strategy has empowered regions across California to bring together a diverse set of community members to craft their own, localized economic visions.
Regional Collaboratives
Residents & Experts Engaged
Investment through the Regional Investment Initiative to Date
California State
Economic Blueprint
Built from the foundations of the 13 regional plans, this Blueprint identifies the strategic sectors and strategies that best position the State of California to help create, attract, and increase access to good-paying jobs.
California’s Strategic Sectors:
Strengthen
Sectors where California has an established competitive position and/or significant employment, but where there is leveling growth or wages.
Accelerate
Sectors with moderate to high projected growth that are ready for expansion, where additional investments (e.g., capital, infrastructure) could “bend the curve” to generate growth.
Bet
Emerging sectors with significant investment or high strategic importance to the innovation ecosystem.
Anchor
Regional anchors that are critical for attracting and supporting industry activities while often providing quality, good-paying jobs within local communities.
California’s 13 Jobs First Regions
With support from the state, each regional collaborative developed research-backed and community-led strategies for how to grow their local economy in ways that benefit all their residents.
1. North State
A thriving and resilient North State is based on a regenerative economy that produces climate-adaptive forests and watersheds, healthy and financially secure communities, and growing and innovative community scale businesses linked to regional markets.
2. Redwood
The Redwood Region envisions itself as a healing place where everyone belongs, with stable jobs, accessible healthcare, and a flourishing natural environment. The Redwood Region works towards a future where anyone can thrive.
3. Capital
The Capital Region focuses on the generation of quality jobs, well-supported career pathways, and an equitable and sustainable economy that spans the eight-county region. It will build on existing efforts to help maximize the benefit of ongoing sub-regional economic and community development activities.
4. Sierra
The Sierra Region aims to create a resilient economy that supports equitable opportunities for generations to come.
5. Bay Area
6. Northern San Joaquin
The North San Joaquin Region envisions itself as a place with equitable access to high-quality jobs, where natural resources are protected and negative environmental impact is addressed, where local industries actively compete in the global economy and sustain high-road jobs, and where the quality of life is centered on the prosperity of vulnerable and historically disinvested communities.
7. Central San Joaquin
The Central San Joaquin Region aims to foster an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economy that creates quality jobs and provides equitable economic access to across the region.
8. Central Coast
The Central Coast Region is a growing collective impact initiative, powered by Central Coast residents working together toward a shared vision of a sustainable, diverse, equitable, and resilient economy.
9. Kern County
The Kern County Region aims to create a diversified, sustainable, equitable, and thriving economy that eliminates intergenerational poverty and empowers Kern County residents from every background to access economic opportunity.
10. Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Region aims to create investment opportunities through climate neutral initiatives that can produce high-quality, sustainable jobs for individuals and families within the region.
11. Inland SoCal
The Inland SoCal Region envisions itself as a place where everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to the resources and opportunities necessary to thrive. The goal is to create a region where every community prospers in a sustainable and innovative economy, and every individual can live a healthy, quality life.
12. Orange County
The Orange County Region aims to create an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economy that creates high-road jobs and provides a path toward, and equitable transition to, a carbon-neutral economy.
13. Southern Border
The Southern Border Region aims to foster inclusive and sustainable economic development by empowering and uplifting disinvested communities and ensuring equitable access to opportunities, resources, and growth.
Latest News
Feb. 26, 2025
California announces statewide plan for economic growth
Governor Newsom releases California Jobs First Economic Blueprint alongside new funding to support Los Angeles businesses and workers
Feb. 26, 2025
California announces statewide plan for economic growth
Governor Newsom releases California Jobs First Economic Blueprint alongside new funding to support Los Angeles businesses and workers
Governor Newsom proposes historic expansion of film & TV tax credit program
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a proposal to expand California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually, a massive increase from the current $330 million annual allocation.
California Jobs First: State Launches First-of-its-Kind Council to Create Thousands of More Jobs Across All Regions
Governor Newsom announced the creation of a new state council focused on creating jobs and the awarding of $182 million in grants to jumpstart the Governor’s Regional Investment Initiative to accelerate economic and workforce projects.
California Awards Nearly $40 Million for Communities to Build Industries of the Future
Governor Gavin Newsom announced $39 million in state funding going to economic development projects across the state that support California’s transition to a low-carbon, green growth future.
California Jobs First Council
In March 2024, the Newsom Administration launched the California Jobs First Council, bringing together nine state agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive approach to advancing California’s economy.
Co-Chair: Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)
Co-Chair: Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA)
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)
California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS)
California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA)
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Governor’s Office of Land Use & Innovation (LCI)