Reflecting on Humboldt County's economic past, present and future
2024 marks Cardinal Services' 40th anniversary of serving local business communities across Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. While Sequoia Personnel Services became Cardinal just a few years ago, for over 39 years, SPS was your choice to provide the highest level of professional employment services in Humboldt County. I started with Sequoia Personnel in 2006, and during that time, I've helped hundreds of individuals find the job opportunities they've been looking for here in our community. A lot has changed in the last two decades, but I think some of the most prosperous times lie ahead.
When I started at Sequoia Personnel, Humboldt County's business landscape looked a lot different than it does today. There were thriving lumber mills; our local state university wasn't polytechnic yet, and Eureka supported two major print newspapers. St. Joseph's Health Systems still operated the General Hospital campus, the Bayshore Mall was full of stores and — like it or not — the underground cannabis economy was still one of the county's driving economic forces. We've all seen so many changes these past 20 years. Not surprisingly, the employment market in our community has felt the impact — we've seen Humboldt County shift from a natural resourcedominated economy into a service-based economy.
The most recent unemployment figures put Humboldt County at 5%, on par with the state average. Ask most folks employed in our community, and you'll probably hear that while there may be jobs available, many aren't “living wage” jobs. This sentiment isn't new, and with the state's minimum wage increase of over 60% in the last 20 years, we've seen a compression in wages, which affects the bottom line for small businesses that may struggle to keep up. And then there's the housing situation. In case you've been living under a rock (joke intended) and haven't heard, Humboldt has a rather formidable housing shortage. That is one of the contributing factors to our high rents and cost of living.
It's not all doom and gloom, however. I have great reason to believe there are positive changes in our future. There are a few large projects on the horizon that could bring many new opportunities in the way of jobs, economic stimulus, and growth to our community. From the proposed onshore fish farm to the proposed offshore wind farm, Humboldt County is once again proving that we are home to some of the most valuable resources available anywhere. Our natural environment is an economic treasure for our entire community. With a strong “support local” community sentiment leading the way, I believe Humboldt County will prosper once again. Cardinal is just one piece of a vibrant business community here in Humboldt County. If you find yourself unemployed, underemployed, or ready to branch out on your own, don't wait; use one of the many resources available to you in our community, like our employment agencies, the SBDC, or the Job Market, to help you prepare for the prosperous days ahead!
Tomas Chavez has worked in employment services in Humboldt County since 2006. He started as a recruiter with Sequoia Personnel Services and is currently the HR Director for Cardinal Services. Tomas holds a BS in business administration from Humboldt State and is a SHRM-certified professional.