CSU, Chico News

California State University, Chico’s Center for Economic Development (CED) has just published a regional profile of northeastern California that includes the first detailed look at the University’s impact on the 12-county area.

The 72-page report, published this week, includes trends, current conditions and forecasts for the 11 major areas of industry for the region, along with demographic statistics of the population.

The first half of the CED’s report is a comprehensive study of CSU, Chico’s role and reach in the region, including economic impact analysis and a list of community resources.

Regarding the University’s economic impact, the CED estimates the direct and indirect benefits of CSU, Chico to the region during the 1997-98 academic year to be $379 million. The amount includes University payroll ($95.6 million), University expenditures ($150.5 million), student spending ($126.5 million) and visitor spending ($7.2 million).

The CED expects the total economic benefit of CSU, Chico to the region to be about $410 million for the 1998-99 academic year.

Among the community outreach aspects of the University, the report briefly profiles the Instructional Media Center, the Center for Manufacturing Excellence, the Sacramento River Tributaries Project and the Geographical Information Center.

“It’s accepted that the University has a significant impact on the region’s economy, but the facts and figures have not been widely known,” said Dan Ripke, director of the CED. “We hope that this publication will help the public’s understanding of the University, in context of an overall picture of the region’s economy.”

The report’s industry outlook details the 12-county area’s growth in retail and service-oriented businesses and the decline in natural resource industries. In some specific areas, the region experienced a 12-percent increase in agriculture income earnings from 1990 to 1995, and a 5-percent increase in agriculture employment. In construction, income earnings dipped 2.5 percent in that five-year period, and employment dropped 14.9 percent. Manufacturing income earnings rose 3.7 percent, but employment was down 11 percent.

The 12 counties comprising the northeastern region are Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba.

Some other statistical details of the report were:

- Regional population grew between 1990 and 1997 at an annual rate of 1.3 percent.
- The average annual employment growth rate for the region was 0.4 percent.
- Seven percent of the 12-county region’s population are between ages 70 and 79, compared with only 4.7 percent for the rest of the state.
- Based on 1990 statistics, 23.4 percent of state residents have a college degree, compared with 14.6 percent of northeastern Californians.

Regarding the University, the report found:

- Approximately 3,000 CSU, Chico graduates enter the region’s work force every year.
- While CSU Chico enrollment has increased the past few years, it is still 7.6 percent below levels from 10 years ago.
- CSU, Chico provides more than 4,910 jobs to local residents.
- CSU, Chico and Associated Students spend more than $4.5 million each year on local supplies, contracts and services.

The Center for Economic Development is a community outreach organization that provides technical expertise, research and economic development planning to 20 northern counties in California. The CED receives funding from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, with matching funds provided by CSU, Chico.

The CED publishes county economic and demographic profiles of 20 northern counties in the region. Those reports, and the regional profile, are available by contacting the CED care of CSU, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0765, phone (530) 898-4598.

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 1999 at 12:39 pm and is filed under 1999 Spring.