The total revenues from defense spending in San Diego county directly accounted for 13% of the regional economy.
The county continues to rank first in the nation for military and civilian dod wages and salaries. San Diego county is home to the largest number of military retirees anywhere in the nation, and the department of veteran affairs reports that more than 260,000 veterans reside in the county.
The military makes further impacts on local educational institutions through the $15 million distributed to school districts under a US office of education program providing funds to districts based on the average daily attendance of the children of federal employees. Another impact on the region comes in the form of the many business trips to the San Diego region by military and DOD officials, base contractors, and reservists. It is estimated that $350 million annually is spent in San Diego for this purpose alone.
The military's presence further creates numerous secondary jobs resulting from not only contracts with local private sector firms, but the dollars resulting from spending by military personnel and base expenditures. In general, for every two jobs supported directly by the military (active duty and civilian), the region employs another person. For every 36 jobs directly supported by the military, the gross regional product (GRP) rises by $1 million. For every $1 million increase in military expenditures for operations and construction, the region adds nearly 14 jobs and the GRP rises by $777,000. . |
