Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development
Agency name	Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development
Formed	2004
Jurisdiction	City of San Francisco
Headquarters	City Hall, San Francisco
Chief1 name	Director
Chief1 position	Director
Parent agency	Office of the Mayor

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Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development

The Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development is a municipal agency in San Francisco focused on business retention, neighborhood revitalization, and job training. It coordinates activities among municipal entities such as San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco Planning Department, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and state institutions such as California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and federal entities including the United States Department of Labor. The office works with private-sector organizations like Twitter, Salesforce, Wells Fargo, and PG&E Corporation as well as nonprofit groups such as San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, United Way Bay Area, and The San Francisco Foundation.

Overview

The office administers programs related to small-business support, workforce training, and neighborhood development, interacting with agencies such as San Francisco Human Services Agency, San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (successor agencies), San Francisco Economic Development Corporation, and regional partners like Bay Area Rapid Transit and Association of Bay Area Governments. It engages educational institutions including City College of San Francisco, University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco State University while aligning with federal initiatives from Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce. The office's mission complements civic efforts led by figures like Mayor of San Francisco and policy frameworks from San Francisco Planning Commission and San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development collaborators.

The office traces roots to municipal economic programs of the late 20th century involving entities such as San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, Embarcadero Center redevelopment, and initiatives during administrations of mayors like Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom, and Ed Lee. Post-2000 developments involved coordination with state reforms from Proposition 13 (1978) aftermath and federal responses such as funding from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Major efforts intersected with regional planning by Metropolitan Transportation Commission, recovery projects after events like the Loma Prieta earthquake, and tech-sector growth tied to companies including Google, Apple Inc., and Facebook influencing housing and workforce dynamics.

Programs include small-business technical assistance aligning with Small Business Development Center models, neighborhood commercial corridor grants mirroring efforts by National Trust for Historic Preservation and workforce training partnerships with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act consortia, California Employment Development Department, and nonprofits like Goodwill Industries International. Initiatives target sectors such as biotechnology linked to Biotech Bay Area, hospitality tied to San Francisco Travel Association, construction aligned with International Union of Operating Engineers, and green jobs connected to San Francisco Department of the Environment and franchises of LEED-certified projects. Special projects have coordinated with cultural institutions such as San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and community organizations like Mission Economic Development Agency.

Leadership comprises a Director reporting to the Mayor of San Francisco and coordinating with advisory bodies such as Economic Development Commission (San Francisco), Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee, and interagency task forces involving San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Fire Department in public safety-linked economic efforts. Divisions often mirror functional units found in municipal administrations: small business services working with San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, workforce development liaising with California Workforce Development Board, real estate and neighborhood development partnering with San Francisco Planning Department, and policy teams coordinating with State Senate of California members and United States Congress delegations.

The office maintains partnerships with corporate actors like LinkedIn, Uber Technologies, and Lyft, Inc. while engaging labor stakeholders including Service Employees International Union, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and AFL–CIO. Collaborations extend to philanthropic institutions including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation and community-based groups such as La Raza Centro Legal, Asian Neighborhood Design, and Causa Justa::Just Cause. Regional cooperation includes work with Association of Bay Area Governments, San Mateo County, and Alameda County workforce boards.

Funding streams combine municipal budget allocations approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, state grants from California Strategic Growth Council, federal grants from Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Labor, and private foundation awards from entities like Ford Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Revenue sources have included tax increment revenues reminiscent of former San Francisco Redevelopment Agency mechanisms, general fund appropriations subject to Proposition 13 (1978) fiscal constraints, and targeted program contracts with employers such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health.

Performance metrics track outcomes similar to metrics used by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, measuring job placements, retention rates, small-business survival rates paralleling studies by Kauffman Foundation, and commercial corridor vacancy data akin to reports by National League of Cities. Impact assessments reference regional indicators monitored by Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments such as labor force participation, wage growth, displacement statistics linked to San Francisco Rent Ordinance debates, and housing affordability trends tracked by California Department of Housing and Community Development.