Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce
Our mission is to advance the economic vitality of greater Irvine.
Our mission is to advance the economic vitality of greater Irvine.
Irvine climbed higher among 100 U.S. cities in the 2019 ParkScore Index conducted by The Trust for Public Land, rating communities on the their access to parks. Irvine ranked sixth, the only Californian city to place in the top 10, a four-position improvement from last year’s 10th spot. The ParkScore Index is based on four factors: park acreage, access, amenities, and investments. The annual survey measures: Percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park; The city’s median park size and the percentage of city area dedicated to parks; Annual park spending per resident; And the availability of six popular park features: basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, water play structures, recreation and senior centers, and restrooms, according to the trust. “We’ve added several new parks and we’re still building parks,” said Darin Loughrey, Irvine Parks and Recreation manager. “We’re very pleased to move up within the top 10.” Irvine offers 17.7 basketball hoops per 10,000 residents and has a parks budget of $252 per resident, surpassing the national average of $90, according to the index. There are over 20,000 parks in the 100 largest U.S. cities, yet 11 million people don’t have park access within a 10-minute distance. “Solving the problem of park access is exactly why The Trust...
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The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits in Mid-May fell slightly and returned close to a half-century low, signaling that a muscular U.S. jobs market is still going strong. Initial jobless claims, a rough way to measure layoffs, dipped by 1,000 to 211,000 in the seven days ended May 18, the government said. Economists polled by MarketWatch estimated new claims would total a seasonally adjusted 217,000. The more stable monthly average of new claims fell by 4,750 to 220,250. The number of people already collecting unemployment benefits, known as continuing claims, rose slightly to 1.68 million. One year ago, these claims were about 100,000 higher. What happened: Jobless claims have settled back near a 50-year low after a spike last month tied to seasonal changes in employment around the Easter holiday and spring break for schools. Big picture: By most measures the U.S. labor market is the strongest in decades. Wages are rising, job openings are at a record high and layoffs and unemployment are at a 50-year low. Indeed, the Federal Reserve used the word “strong” a dozen times to describe the labor market in the minutes of its last meeting in early May. The sizzling labor market is keeping the U.S. economy on stable growth...
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The Greater Irvine Chamber celebrates its 40th anniversary on May 24. “As the Greater Irvine Chamber celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, the organization’s professional staff and Board of Directors continue to work to support the Irvine Master Plan and to advance the economic vitality of Greater Irvine,” said Bryan Starr, President and CEO, Greater Irvine Chamber. “From its inception, the Chamber has supported progress in Irvine, working in collaboration with community and business partners, helping Irvine to become the global city that it is today.” Following a campaign launch in January 2019 to mark the milestone year, a more formal recognition will be held during the Chamber’s Celebrate Irvine event on June 28. Messages from key figures in the business community and city officials including Irvine Mayor Christina Shea will provide a look back on the Chamber’s role in the city, as well as thoughts on Irvine’s bright future. Over the past four decades, the Greater Irvine Chamber has been integral in the city’s growth. The Chamber has partnered with Irvine’s highly-ranked schools and 15 colleges and universities on programs that help ensure a sustainable talent pipeline for Irvine companies. Partnerships with accelerators such as UCI Applied Innovation, OCTANe, and Coded in...
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Conducting primary research on behalf of the Greater Irvine Chamber, 57 Chamber member volunteers visited more than 300 Irvine businesses during the April Business Outreach Rally. The volunteers conducted a survey to identify challenges that Irvine businesses face, and provided copies of the Business Outreach Resource Guide, which features information about support resources offered through the Chamber and its partner organizations. Out of the businesses surveyed, a majority reported that they either exceeded or met their business performance goals. The top two challenges that the surveyed businesses face are talent attraction and sales. Of the businesses surveyed, more than 65 percent are headquartered in Irvine. April’s Business Outreach Rally was led in activity by volunteer team Scott Jackson, Joe Alvarez, and Mathew Sipes who submitted the most surveys. April 24, 2018 Business Outreach Rally volunteers: Gary Abraham, Aspect Real Estate Partners, Inc. Joe Alvarez, Cybersecurity & Cost Management Group Jeannine Arrington, LegalShield Vivian Atkinson, Express Employment Professionals Cynthia Barry, CBE Office Solutions Giselle Baumet, Aspect Real Estate Partners, Inc. Dan Biedscheid, Umpqua Bank David Blair, Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast Tara Bokosky, Tax and Financial Group Jamie Cansler, Council on Aging Southern California Tom Choi, Edward Jones Joanna Correa, Merrill Lynch MGC Group Cindy Denkins, Webster University Rina Durfee, Express Employment Professionals Ailene Dewar, Oasis,...
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