Economy Reporter

If you are a journalist who always knows the latest unemployment rate and can explain what difference Wall Street makes to my life as a Californian, you might be the next economy reporter at CalMatters.

This reporter must know what motivates business interests and can help people understand how economic trends shape public policy and vice versa. California, the fifth largest economy in the world, is also a high-cost, high wage state and one of its central debates is about maintaining those high wages and lowering those high costs.

This reporter will also cover the flip side of business regulation: consumer protection. Other areas of interest include taxes, jobs and wages.

This is a rich beat with a variety of human, business and political stories.

This ideal candidate is a proactive problem solver who can clearly explain complicated concepts in a concise and relatable way. They will need to illustrate within their stories why average Californians should care about topics like business regulations, commercial real estate tax rates, lagging job growth indicators, venture capital and insurance models.

Responsibilities include:

Report and write longform and short stories and multimedia presentations about California economic issues with close attention to state policies and legislation, the lobby community and advocates.
Appeal to a broad audience in a big diverse state with keen awareness about social and cultural distinctions and story sources that reflect our population.
Participate in radio shows, public events and live video.
Regularly contribute to CalMatters’ daily newsletter.
Work with our data, visual and social media journalists to create the best presentations of economy stories.

These are requirements:

At least three years of professional journalism experience, preferably including coverage of the economy.
Sharp writing skills, with work samples that showcase the ability to engage readers and translate complex education issues into relatable, human stories.
Based in California

These would be a plus:

There is a preference this reporter will be based in Sacramento
Several years experience covering economic or business regulatory issues
An understanding of economic policy

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $70,000 to $90,000 per year; higher compensation may be available for someone with advanced skills and/or experience.