1) California is the worlds 6th largest economy. California's gross state product is nearly $1.5 trillion, making it one of the world's largest economies. California accounts for over 13 percent of the nation's output, and trails only Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. Our nation's next largest state economy--New York--is about 60 percent the size of California's. (California Legislative Analyst’s Office, Dec/2004)

2) California has 122 educational institutions on the 2006 list of “America’s Best Colleges” and 15 of the Top National Universities. U.S. News & World Report develops this list by sending an annual survey to colleges around the country and then ranks them based on 15 indicators of academic excellence. (U.S. News & World Report, Sept/2006)

3) 7 California counties ranked among the nation's best digital counties. The 2005 Digital Counties Survey reviewed how county governments use information technology to improve the overall delivery of services to their citizens. The following California counties ranked among the top 10 within varying population categories:
Population 500,000 or more: San Diego (#2), Alameda (#9)
Population 250,000-499,999: Marin (#10)
Population 150,000-249,999: Merced (#2)
Population less than 150,000: Nevada (#2), Napa (#3), Sutter (#4)
(2005 Digital Counties Survey, Dec/2005)

4) California is still ranked #1 by Cyberstate. Cyberstates 2005 is the eighth annual edition of AeA’s Cyberstates reports. It provides a comprehensive review of the high-tech industry nationally and state-by-state by high-tech employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and trade. Cyberstates also offers data on venture capital investments and R&D expenditures. (AeA Cyberstates 2005, April/2005)

What Does High Tech Mean for California?

• 915,500 high-tech workers (1st ranked cyberstate)
• 67,800 jobs lost between 2002 and 2003
• High-tech firms employed 74 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2003, ranked 7th nationwide
• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $84,400 (2nd ranked), or 102% more than California's average private sector wage
• A high-tech payroll of $77 billion in 2003, ranked 1st nationwide
• 43,600 high-tech establishments in 2003, ranked 1st nationwide
• High-tech exports totaled $48 billion in 2004 (1st ranked), up by $6.7 billion
• High-tech exports represented 44% of California’s exports
• Venture capital investments of $9.3 billion in 2004, up by $1.1 billion from 2003
• R&D expenditures of $51 billion in 2002, ranked 1st nationwide

California’s National Industry Segment Rankings:

• California leads the nation in 15 of 16 high-tech industry segments
• 1st in computer systems design and related services employment with 166,000 jobs
• 1st in telecommunications services employment with 121,100 jobs
• 1st in R&D and testing labs employment with 106,900 jobs
• 1st in engineering services employment with 92,500 jobs

Source: Cyberstates 2005
Data are for 2003 unless otherwise noted.
2003 data are the most current for state employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry segment jobs.
Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.AeAnet.org)

5) California has the most (110) companies that appear on FORTUNE's annual ranking of America's largest corporations. The Fortune 1000 is a ranking of the top 1000 United States public corporations as measured by gross revenue. Fortune magazine compiles and publishes the list annually. (Fortune, April/2005)

6) California is the state with the highest number of companies (77) on the Inc. 500 list. The Inc. 500 list ranks America's fastest-growing private businesses and helps identify entrepreneurial ventures on the cutting edge of U.S. economic growth. Inc. 500 companies had to have four full years of sales, be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent -- not subsidiaries of other firms -- as of December 31, 2004, and have sales of at least $500,000 in the base year. (Inc. 500, Oct/2005)

7) $2.3 billion venture capital invested in California companies. Fourth quarter 2005 data shows California received the most venture capital of any state. Source for investment statistics is the PricewaterhouseCoopers/Venture Economics/NVCA Moneytree Survey, source for fund raising and exit statistics is Venture Economics/NVCA. (Venture Economics, Jan/2006)

8) Six California MSAs rank among the top 20% most logistics-friendly metros in America. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (#8) ranked in the top ten. The study evaluates the overall logistics infrastructure of our nation’s 362 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) based upon 10 major categories, including the transportation and warehousing (T&W) industry, T&W work force, road infrastructure, road congestion, road conditions, interstate highway access, vehicle taxes and fees, railroad access, water port access, and air cargo access. (Expansion Management, Sept/2005)

9) 6 of the top 25 freight gateways ranked by shipment value are in California. Port of Los Angeles (#1), Port of Long Beach (#5), Los Angeles International Airport (#7), San Francisco International Airport (#12), Port of Oakland (#19), and Port of Otay Mesa Station (#25) had a combined value $374 billion in trade in 2003. (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug/2004)

10) California ranks #1 among states in agricultural exports ($9.2 billion). California accounts for nearly 15 percent of the total value of all U.S. agricultural exports. The State leads the country in exports of vegetables and preparations, fruits and preparations, tree nuts, dairy products, planting seeds, and “other products”. California’s exports of each of these commodities, except dairy products, are 2-3 times higher than the next closest State. Nearly half of California’s “other product” exports comes from wine with the rest primarily from essential oils and nursery and greenhouse products.” (U.S. Department of Agriculture, July/2005)

11) California ranks the best state to live in 2005 Harris Poll. When 2,339 U.S. adults were asked "If you could live in any state in the country, except the state you live in now, what state would you choose to live in?", California ranked #1. And when asked, "If you could live in or near any city in the country except the one you live in or nearest to now, which city would you choose?", San Diego (#2) and San Francisco (#4) were in the top 5. (Harris Poll, Aug/2005)

12) California has 3 of the top 16 hospitals on the 2005 list of “America’s Best Hospitals” and 12 of the top 176 on the list. U.S. News & World Report develops this list by sending an annual survey to medical professional around the country and then ranks hospitals based on their reputations within seventeen medical specialties. (U.S. News & World Report, 2005)

California Trade Statistics
The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that, in 2004, California exports amounted to nearly $110 billion. This is an increase from the 2003 total of nearly $94 billion. California maintained its perennial position as a top exporting state, second only to Texas.
Exports from California accounted for more than 13 percent of total U.S. exports in 2004. California's top trading partners are Mexico, Japan, Canada, China and South Korea. California trade and exports translate into high-paying jobs for over one million Californians.
The state leads the nation in export-related jobs. According to the former California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, workers in jobs supported by trade earn on average 13-18 percent higher wages than the national average. In a recent survey done by the International Trade Administration, it was shown that export-supported jobs account for an estimated 8.6 percent of California's total private sector employment - more than one in every 12 jobs.
California receives more foreign direct investment than any other U.S. state. The more than $100 billion invested in California provides 550,000 jobs - 4 percent of all jobs in the state.

Top Export Sectors
California is the number one exporter in the nation of computers, electronic products, and sales of food and kindred products. Computers and electronic products are California's top export, accounting for 42 percent of all the state's exports.
California is the largest exporting state to Asia. In 2004, California exported over $47 billion in goods to the region - 22 percent of US total exports to Asia.
Mexico continues to be California’s number one export market. California exports to Mexico increased in 2004 from $14.8 billion to over $17 billion. Mexico purchases nearly 16 percent of all California exports.
(California Chamber of Commerce)