protesters in downtown San Francisco

Economic Justice

We believe: Prosperity is essential to a thriving region and should be planned for,
supported, and shared so that all people can participate in and benefit from economic growth.

Our Goals

• Allocate resources to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged groups.

• Strengthen and expand the social safety net.

• Rebuild the middle class.

• Build effective and equitable fiscal policies.

Homeless Camp

SPUR Report

Mending the Net

Long before COVID-19, California had the highest poverty rate in the nation. The state is also one of the worst at getting benefits to those who need them. Streamlining the application process would help Californians receive the public support they have a right to.
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Bay Area Market

SPUR Report

Undue Burden

Sales taxes are a common revenue-raising tool, but they also play a role in reinforcing structural inequality. SPUR explores three options for creating a more equitable tax code.
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More Harm Than Good

SPUR Report

More Harm Than Good

California’s system of fines and fees is causing significant financial harm to low-income, Black, and Latinx communities in the Bay Area. California should eliminate its reliance on punitive fees and introduce more effective ways to promote behavior that supports safety and the greater social good.
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Ladders Out of Poverty

SPUR Report

Ladders Out of Poverty

Thousands of Bay Area households struggle to pay their bills each month, a situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The region should look to the promise of unrestricted cash transfer programs, which give people money with no specific requirements on how it is spent.
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Economic Prosperity Strategy

SPUR Report

Economic Prosperity Strategy

The Bay Area has one of the strongest economies in the world, but the benefits are not universally shared. Over a third of the workforce earns less than $18 an hour. How can we make sure the region’s rising economic tide lifts all boats?
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Updates and Events

Big Challenges Ahead for the Port of Oakland

Urbanist Article
After a half century of industrialization, the good-paying, blue-collar job has become an endangered species in the United States. But it persists in some places, and one of the most important in the Bay Area is the Port of Oakland. An understanding of the Port’s complicated infrastructure and policy agenda is essential for anyone concerned about maintaining middle-wage jobs and the region’s overall economic competitiveness.

An Up Market Brings Housing, but Not Jobs, to Downtown San Jose

News /
2014 was the hottest recent year for real estate in downtown San Jose. Hundreds of residential units broke ground in new apartment towers, with several thousand more approved. While high-density housing in the transit-rich downtown is great, the city also needs to keep in mind the long-term availability of land for jobs — specifically sites that can accommodate large office buildings near future BART stations.

Prosperity and Opportunity in the Bay Area’s Innovation Economy

News /
The Bay Area’s “innovation economy” — i.e., the high-tech sector — is thriving. Though longtime observers are right to wonder when the next crash will happen, the region’s current boom has some fundamental qualities that hint prosperity will continue. This time of expansion is an opportunity to acknowledge some of the challenges associated with economic growth.

Top Analysts Predict Another Year of Growth for SF Economy

News /
Each February, SPUR’s Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee brings together top economists and city staff to forecast what San Francisco’s economy will do in the year ahead. The expertise of independent economists and experts from key sectors — including real estate, hospitality and retail — helps the city develop revenue projections for the upcoming fiscal year. Here’s a look at what they see ahead.

San Francisco’s Economic Recovery: 2010-2013

Urbanist Article
In 2013, San Francisco reached a historic peak in employment, and from what we know so far, 2014 will reach even higher. In fact, San Francisco has never seen a more rapid three-year period of expansion in jobs than the period between 2010 and 2013, when the city added more than 70,000 jobs.

Momentum for Local Minimum Wage

Urbanist Article
An overwhelming majority of voters in San Francisco and Oakland voted to raise the local minimum wage in November. Meanwhile San Jose and a number of other Bay Area cities have already increased their minimum wage or are planning to establish one. Public opinion has shifted, and higher minimum wages have become a win-win mainstream issue. A regional minimum wage could be next.
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