Will There Be Enough Jobs in San Diego in 40 years?

If you don’t have a job that pays well, can you afford to live in San Diego? Maybe, but it’s not easy, given the high cost of life here, and that worries a lot of people.

When The San Diego Foundation asked , increasing the number and quality of jobs emerged as the top priority. When the same people were asked about the issues that impact their personal quality of life, lack of jobs and low wages ranked second most important.

In 2010, San Diego County’s unemployment rate of 10.6 percent was its highest level in more than 30 years. Meantime, San Diego is ranked as one of the least affordable regions in the country – less affordable than New York City, where housing is expensive but jobs tend to bring a high salary.

Imagine what San Diego’s future economy would look like if the population continues to grow without a plan in place to create the needed jobs or a mix of housing residents can afford. 

When you realize that this region is expected to grow by 40 percent in 40 years, answering these types of questions becomes a priority. Based on the projected growth, we’ll need 400,000 new jobs by 2050. This is why thousands of San Diegans have already shared their priorities, hopes and concerns for the region through Our Greater San Diego Vision, a public engagement process to create a shared vision and action plan for the next 50- to 100- years.

The online public survey offers several different approaches to economic development this region can take.

One approach is the continued expansion of our existing major industries. San Diego is more fortunate than most regions in having three industries that bring money to the region – the military, the innovation sector, and the convention and tourism business. For every job created in these three core industries, two more are created in other sectors to support them.

A second approach is the expansion of one of the region’s three major industries, the innovation industry. San Diego is already one of the nation’s leaders in innovation. Expanding this industry would create more jobs in various sectors, including clean-tech, defense and security, high-tech manufacturing, life sciences, research institutions and wireless.

A third approach is to develop a fourth major industry that can bring investment into San Diego. San Diego’s economy depends heavily on the military, the innovation sector, and the convention and tourism business. What other industry would work well in San Diego?

San Diegans can also focus on supporting our local-serving businesses, or we can focus on creating a globally competitive mega region with Imperial County and Baja California Norte.

How do you think we should promote economic growth and create jobs in San Diego?

Visit www.ShowYourLoveSD.org now through Jan. 31 and voice your choice to ensure there will be good paying jobs so our children and grandchildren are able to live and work here.