Los Angeles County Department of Economic Development

Los Angeles County Department of Economic Development
Name	Los Angeles County Department of Economic Development
Formed	1950s
Jurisdiction	Los Angeles County, California
Headquarters	Los Angeles
Employees	200–500
Chief1 name	Chief Executive
Parent agency	Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County Department of Economic Development

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Development is a county-level agency focused on business retention, workforce support, and community revitalization within Los Angeles County, California, operating alongside entities such as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the City of Los Angeles, and regional authorities like the Southern California Association of Governments and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. It coordinates with statewide institutions including the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, the California Employment Development Department, and federal bodies such as the United States Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration. The department works across jurisdictions including Long Beach, California, Pasadena, California, Santa Monica, California, and Inglewood, California to align with major infrastructure projects like the Los Angeles International Airport expansion and the Metro (Los Angeles County) transit initiatives.

History

The department traces roots to postwar reconstruction and regional planning efforts tied to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District formation and the expansion of Interstate 5 (California), intersecting with federal programs such as the New Deal legacy and the Interstate Highway System. Throughout the late 20th century the agency adjusted to shocks including the 1973 oil crisis, the rise of the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, and the impacts of the 1994 Northridge earthquake on county infrastructure. In the 2000s it responded to national events like the 2008 financial crisis and partnered with University of Southern California, California State University, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Los Angeles for workforce development. Recent adaptations reflect policy shifts around initiatives from the Joe Biden administration and coordination with the California Climate Action Registry and regional resilience planning after events such as the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

Organization and Leadership

The department is overseen by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and managed by an appointed chief executive who liaises with leaders from Mayor of Los Angeles, the California State Legislature, and federal representatives including members of the United States House of Representatives from California. Its internal divisions often mirror units found in agencies like the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Chicago Department of Aviation, covering sectors such as small-business services, industrial retention, and workforce training. Leadership collaborates with philanthropic and research organizations such as the Annenberg Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, RAND Corporation, and the Brookings Institution to inform strategic planning and performance evaluation.

Functions and Programs

Core functions include business attraction similar to strategies used by the Port of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles World Airports, workforce development modeled after Los Angeles Trade-Technical College partnerships, and neighborhood economic revitalization akin to initiatives in South Los Angeles and Skid Row (Los Angeles). Programs range from small-business technical assistance resembling offerings by Small Business Administration regional offices, to tax incentive coordination like mechanisms discussed in the California Competes Tax Credit framework, to entrepreneurship supports comparable to Launchpad LA and Accelerate California. The department administers grants and loans in collaboration with financial institutions such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and community lenders similar to Self-Help Credit Union.

Economic Development Initiatives

Initiatives target industry clusters including entertainment industry in Los Angeles, aerospace industry in Southern California, biotechnology in Los Angeles, and the regional trade and logistics corridor tied to the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles. Projects align with transit-oriented development around Union Station (Los Angeles), airport-area economic strategies near Los Angeles International Airport, and innovation district planning informed by partnerships with Caltech and USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The department has sponsored workforce pipelines linked to the Los Angeles Unified School District career academies, veterans programs connected to Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and small-business incubators mirroring models from Silicon Beach and Culver City, California.

Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

The agency maintains formal collaborations with municipalities such as Burbank, California, Glendale, California, and Long Beach, California and regional bodies like the Southern California Association of Governments, as well as with universities including UCLA School of Public Affairs, USC Price School of Public Policy, and community colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District. It engages chambers of commerce like the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, workforce boards such as the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board, labor unions including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, and nonprofit partners such as LA County Community Development Commission and Inner City Law Center. Cross-sector initiatives connect with federal agencies like the United States Department of Labor and philanthropic entities including the Ford Foundation.

Funding and Budget

Funding sources combine county general funds appropriated by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, state allocations tied to legislation from the California State Legislature, and federal grants from agencies such as the Economic Development Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The department also administers philanthropic grants from organizations like the Anita Borg Institute and public–private financing involving lenders including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, echoing models used in large-scale redevelopment projects such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum upgrades and Exposition Park improvements.

Performance and Impact Metrics

Performance metrics are reported in alignment with standards used by entities such as the Government Accountability Office, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the California Employment Development Department, tracking job creation, median wage growth, small-business retention, and capital investment levels. Impact assessments draw on academic evaluations from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and USC Schwarzenegger Institute analyses, with indicators including changes in unemployment across ZIP codes like 90011, shifts in industry employment in sectors such as creative economy in Los Angeles, and outcomes for targeted populations including veterans, veterans' families, and formerly incarcerated individuals.

Category:Los Angeles County, California