Tuesday Chronicle: Three Related Stories

(WSJ graphic)

S.F. metro area retains No. 1 spot as most expensive place to live in the U.S.

The San Francisco metro area was the nation’s most expensive place to live in 2020 for the sixth year in a row, and California was the third-most expensive state, according to federal data released Tuesday.

Prices in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metropolitan statistical area were 17.4% higher than the national average, with apartment rents 107.4% higher,

Comment: One wonders how much of the rental increases this year has been due to landlords taking units off the market because of the the eviction moratorium.

San Francisco becomes first city to require sick leave for nannies, cleaners, gardeners

The measure — the first of its kind in the country — would affect some 10,000 people in San Francisco who work in private homes to clean, cook, tend children, garden, do personal organizing, or provide non-medical care for disabled people or seniors.

The measure, called “Domestic workers equal access to paid sick leave,” addresses the fact that many domestic workers may work for multiple households. It creates a a portable paid sick leave benefit, so workers would earn slivers of paid sick leave from each employer and then consolidate them. An employer would pay one hour of wages into the fund for every 30 hours of service from a domestic worker.

Comment: your humble blogger doubts strongly that all of the "multiple households" report to the authorities all of the payments made to domestic workers. It's also obvious that the workers like the current arrangement. Prediction: participation will fall far short of the 10,000 people covered by the measure; nevertheless, San Francisco will add dozens to the payroll to administer this program.

The San Francisco exodus isn’t over, according to new migration data. [bold added]

Excluding moves from abroad, over 72,000 more people have moved out of the city than since the beginning of 2020, almost eight times more than the same period in 2018-2019.

The Bay Area’s high costs have soared even further this year amid global inflation and supply chain gridlock. Gas prices have leaped above $5 a gallon and housing costs have rebounded as renters have returned to the region, a daunting challenge for both consumers and President Biden’s administration.

Comment: high costs are a problem, but don't forget the needles and feces on the sidewalk, and the trashing of parked cars and the dwindling number of neighborhood stores that haven't yet closed due to shoplifting. People had good reason to leave one year ago , and the problems have only gotten worse.