Berkeley

Forklift Parts Berkeley - The municipality of Berkeley is located on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County. Berkeley neighbors Oakland and Emeryville to the south, Albany and Kensington to the north, and borders the Contra Costa County to the east.

One of the oldest campuses for the University of California is located in Berkeley. Also located in the city is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Gradual Theological Union. The city is considered one of most politically liberal in the state of California and was ranked the third most liberal city within the U.S. in a recent study.

The economy in Berkeley is extremely diverse, ranging from commercial and manufacturing to institutional companies. The city achieved its lowest unemployment rate during 1999 with 2.3%. Then again, various ethnic groups do not benefit from the 70,000 jobs provided by the businesses: During 1990, the unemployment rate for African- American women was 12 percent and the rate for African- American males was over 18 percent. The average overall rate for the city during that time was 5.6%. This group also makes less per capita income. In 1990, it was 59% of the citywide average, a meager $11,134.

The different companies, situated in West Berkeley, create an approximate taxable sales revenue of $1.2 billion. Berkeley is known as excellent location for independent, small companies to locate. The city is filled with educated individuals with exceptional entrepreneurial ideas which benefit a lot of the local businesses which have developed here. Nearly all commercial buildings are of medium size, which is possibly because of the 90% of all employers in the area which have fewer then 20 staff. Financial stability is also acquired in Berkeley with The University of California and various research and educational facilities which are supported by the state.

The mid- and late- 1990s, a time of economic prosperity, brought benefits as well as difficulties. The cultural, social and economic diversity of the city has been harshly challenged with the property values/rents constantly increasing. The more artistic and crafty individuals are finding it ever more difficult to live with monetary pressures increasing. Office and retail spaces are become more common as higher office rents cause pressure on businesses to economize from their well-paying industrial jobs to office spaces which are smaller. In West Berkeley, where the industrial sector thrives, continuous supervision is needed so as to maintain a balance between manufacturing, retail, and office uses.