The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory generated 5,600 jobs and $446.5 million in personal income, and contributed $690 million to the Bay Area’s economy in 2009, according to an economic impact study prepared by CBRE Consulting of San Francisco. The same study concludes that Berkeley Lab was responsible for creating more than 12,000 jobs nationally. The report also reckons that over the last 20 years, the 30 startup companies based on Berkeley Lab technologies contributed $904 million to the Bay Area economy.
In Berkeley alone, more than 1,700 jobs are directly tied to the lab. Total Berkeley Lab spending in the city of Berkeley was nearly $200 million in 2009 and total income exceeded $115 million.
“I am proud that Berkeley Lab has continued to create jobs locally, regionally and nationally during a severe economic recession,” says Laboratory director Paul Alivisatos. “Equally important are the long-term economic and environmental benefits of our startup companies and the millions of dollars and tons of carbon in savings our energy efficiency technologies have afforded.”
The Berkeley Lab has had an enormous boost in the last year with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Photo courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
