Many well-trained workers surveyed said they would give up their daily commute over the Altamont Pass for good jobs at home. Victor Mow, a former Stockton City Council member recently appointed to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, said the county doesn't yet have the jobs to support a burgeoning population that's increasingly fed by Bay Area transplants. We have the work force already. The region's aggressive efforts to attract new businesses will likely suffer a major blow this year, however. Locke is hopeful for a long-term solution.
Companies still find appealing the county's otherwise low cost of living.
The balance of power between agriculture and nonfarm industries won't change much this year, industry watchers say. Business and political leaders must devise a clear plan of action so that they can create jobs the region needs without sacrificing prime agricultural land, she added.