EconoMeter: Should we subsidize industries like breweries?
Question: Is it good local economic policy to subsidize particular industries, such as breweries?
My Answer: YES
If particular industries mean all indudtries then the answer is for sure! The meaningful difference in this growth/expansion incentive is that it is paid development fees that are reimbursed over time only after all goals have been met. If the breweries don’t grow and increase their city taxes then their paid fees will only be returned to them in proportion to their paid taxes. I agree with Councilman Mark Kersey when announcing this new program, he said We need to be looking for other niche industries like this and supporting them with similar agreements. Not just breweries but all industries.
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Is San Diego over the hump on unemployment?
Last week the UT San Diego asked the Econometer Panel: Are San Diego’s unemployment problems at an end?
My answer: No.
San Diego, and many other cities have a serious mismatch of job openings and workers’ skill sets. San Diego is finally back to the number of employed that we had before the Great Recession. But two issues persist. One is that long-term unemployed people, who are seriously looking for jobs, must have a mismatch of skills, attitude or some other issue that they need to focus on to change in order to be viable in the new (and changed) world of work. And, two, our persistent high unemployment at 7 percent tells us there are more people who consider themselves seriously in the job market and are not finding employment.
It is clearly time to “reinvent” ourselves so that our skills match the job openings, now and in the future. Not an easy thing to do but clearly essential to finding a long and satisfying working career.
The 9 Worst Mistakes You Can Make On Your Resume
Great little video from Business Insider about the nine worst mistakes you can make on your resume:
6 Habits of Highly Sucessful People
I came across this article on Inc. Magazine this morning about the 6 habits of super successful people. I think many of these are applicable to a job search:
1. Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Don’t let the obstacles in your path keep you from your goals. View challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. To stay ahead, in business or anything else, you must be able to see situations from all angles and adopt the broadest possible perspective. If your ride has been a smooth one you won’t be prepared for the inevitable bumps.
2. Learn How to Say No
It’s far better to say no to a project you aren’t fully able to take on, rather than say yes and produce poor quality work or lose your focus on what matters most. Learning to say no when it is in your personal best interest, or in the interest of your company, is an extremely valuable skill. Make a list of the things that are most important to you and that you must do yourself, and then delegate the things that can and should be done by someone else. Free yourself from daily busywork and you’ll open up time for new opportunities
3. Keep a Daily Plan of Attack
You know the old saying: “Whatever isn’t written down won’t get done.” As much as we like to think we can remember our most important tasks, when the workday gets busy and meetings run long it’s easy to forget some of the things we need to get done. Each morning write out a detailed plan of attack for the day. Not only will this list keep you more organized, but seeing the list in front of you may help you work harder and ignore distractions.
4. Welcome Criticism
Learn to listen to and absorb the criticism that you get. Hateful and negative criticism should be heard, assessed, and then let go, while constructive criticism should be evaluated and acted upon. Solicit feedback from people whose opinions you value. Remember to be gracious when receiving feedback; when you are, your coworkers and friends will be more likely to give you their support and ideas in the future.
5. Trust Your Instincts
Intuition is very real and something that is never wise to ignore, because it comes from deep within your subconscious and is derived from your previous experiences in similar situations. If your mind is telling you “yes” but your gut is telling you otherwise, it’s usually for a good reason. When faced with difficult decisions, seek out all the information you can find, become as knowledgeable as you can, and then heed your instincts.
6. Take Risks
It’s impossible to become successful while always playing it safe. Taking well-calculated risks can bring previously unimaginable opportunities to both your career and your personal life. When taking a risk doesn’t pan out the way you had hoped, simply learn from it and keep moving forward. Remember that big dreams-;and great success-;aren’t realized by playing it safe!