Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
A public-benefit nonprofit organization that advances inclusive economic growth, business development, workforce opportunity, and regional competitiveness in Los Angeles County.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, commonly known as LAEDC, is a public-benefit nonprofit corporation established in 1981 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. It was created to support economic development in a region facing poverty, community tensions, and persistent social and economic disparities. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial company, LAEDC functions as a regional economic-development intermediary that brings together public agencies, businesses, community organizations, educational institutions, labor and workforce partners, and other civic stakeholders. LAEDC’s stated mission is to reinvent the economy through collaborative action that advances growth and prosperity for all. Its work combines applied research, business assistance, industry-cluster development, workforce development, foreign direct investment attraction, convening, and public-policy support. The organization conducts workshops, town halls, conferences, economic forecasts, and other professional events across the Los Angeles region. These activities provide forums for decision makers and industry participants to examine economic conditions, identify emerging opportunities, and coordinate responses to regional challenges. A central part of LAEDC is the Institute for Applied Economics. The institute produces economic and industry research focused on Los Angeles, California, and national economic conditions. It offers fee-based consulting on subjects including the economic effects of development projects, business operations, regulation, industry clusters, labor markets, and workforce-development needs. It also conducts foundational research intended to guide LAEDC’s own development programs, industry initiatives, and public-policy recommendations. The institute absorbed functions formerly associated with the LAEDC Economic and Policy Consulting Department, the LAEDC Economic and Policy Analysis function, and the discontinued Kyser Center for Economic Research. LAEDC also organizes industry-cluster initiatives intended to strengthen sectors that generate exports, investment, innovation, and relatively well-paid employment. Its areas of activity have included aerospace and defense, bioscience, digital media and entertainment, trade and logistics, electric vehicles and advanced transportation, design, the ocean economy, fashion and apparel, tourism, information technology, and food manufacturing. Industry councils and related partnerships are used to connect companies, investors, educators, policymakers, and workforce organizations, while also improving access to opportunity for underserved communities. Through its Business Assistance Program, LAEDC provides confidential and free consulting to businesses ranging from microenterprises and small firms to larger domestic and international companies. Assistance may cover access to capital, tax credits and incentives, permits, utility costs, procurement, workforce development, marketing, cost containment, business attraction, retention, expansion, and recovery from the COVID-19 economic shock. The organization also supports foreign direct investment through World Trade Center Los Angeles, a subsidiary and public-benefit organization that connects international companies with opportunities in the region. Workforce development is another major area of activity. LAEDC works to align education and training with changing employer requirements and to promote economic mobility and equity. Its Center for a Competitive Workforce partnership with 19 regional community colleges links employer intelligence, applied research, industry councils, business assistance, and education planning. Other initiatives have addressed broadband access, clean technology, economic resilience, community-college coordination, and regional recovery. LAEDC remains an active civic and economic-development institution rather than a consumer-facing product brand, with its influence derived from research, partnerships, convening power, and technical assistance.
History
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation was established in 1981 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as a public-benefit nonprofit corporation. Its original purpose was to help strengthen the county economy and address conditions associated with poverty, social and economic inequality, and community tension. From the beginning, LAEDC was designed as a collaborative institution, relying on relationships among government, business, education, and community organizations rather than functioning as a government department or a conventional private company. Over time, LAEDC broadened its economic-development role. It developed research and consulting capabilities that examined the performance of the Los Angeles, California, and national economies, as well as the effects of business activity, regulation, development projects, labor-market changes, and workforce needs. These activities were eventually organized through the Institute for Applied Economics. The institute succeeded earlier LAEDC research and consulting functions and absorbed the work of the former Kyser Center for Economic Research after that center ceased operating. Its reports became a public source of regional economic and industry information, while its consulting work served clients seeking tailored economic-impact and policy analysis. LAEDC also moved toward an industry-cluster model. Rather than treating the regional economy as a single sector, it convened leaders around industries with significant export, investment, technology, or employment potential. Areas addressed by its programs have included aerospace and defense, bioscience, digital media and entertainment, trade and logistics, electric vehicles and advanced transportation, design, the ocean economy, fashion and apparel, tourism, information technology, and food manufacturing. Industry councils have been used to identify market and technology trends, improve connections among companies and investors, develop talent pipelines, expand procurement and market access, and inform public policy. Equity has remained part of this work, with an emphasis on connecting underserved communities to opportunities in growing industries. Business assistance became another important part of LAEDC’s operating model. Through its Business Assistance Program, the organization offers confidential, no-cost support to companies and microenterprises across sectors. The program has addressed capital access, permits, tax incentives, utility-rate reduction, procurement, marketing, workforce development, cost containment, and business attraction, retention, and expansion. During and after the COVID-19 disruption, LAEDC also made recovery and business-resilience resources available. LAEDC expanded its international role through World Trade Center Los Angeles, a subsidiary focused on connecting international businesses with the region and facilitating foreign direct investment. The organization describes the World Trade Center as the first World Trade Center designated as a public-benefit organization. Its international work complements LAEDC’s domestic business-attraction and cluster-development activities. Workforce development became increasingly integrated with LAEDC’s research and industry programs. The Center for a Competitive Workforce, developed with 19 regional community colleges, was intended to align education and training with changing employer requirements. This approach links labor-market intelligence, industry councils, employers, educators, and policymakers in an effort to support economic mobility and meet talent needs. In more recent initiatives, LAEDC became a founding board member of the Southern California Leadership Council and a founding member of Clean Tech Los Angeles. Clean Tech Los Angeles established the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator in 2011. LAEDC has also participated in regional broadband coordination through LA DEAL with UNITE-LA, led a Build Back Better application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and convened the California Community Economic Resiliency Fund. These activities illustrate the organization’s continuing evolution from a county-focused economic-development body into a broad regional platform for research, investment, business support, workforce development, technology transition, and economic resilience.
- 2011
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator is founded
[1]Clean Tech Los Angeles, of which LAEDC was a founding member, establishes the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator.
- 1981
LAEDC is established
[1]The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors establishes LAEDC as a public-benefit nonprofit corporation to support economic development and address poverty, inequality, and community tensions.
Institute for Applied Economics consolidates research functions
[1]The Institute for Applied Economics becomes the organization’s principal research and consulting division, absorbing functions formerly associated with earlier LAEDC economic-analysis units and the discontinued Kyser Center for Economic Research.
Center for a Competitive Workforce partnership begins
[2]LAEDC partners with 19 regional community colleges to connect education, employer needs, research, and workforce-development strategy.
LAEDC undertakes regional resilience and broadband initiatives
[2]The organization participates in COVID-19 recovery work, leads a Build Back Better application, helps convene LA DEAL for regional broadband coordination, and facilitates the California Community Economic Resiliency Fund.
Products and positioning
LAEDC positions itself as a collaborative, research-driven regional economic-development organization focused on inclusive growth, business competitiveness, workforce opportunity, investment attraction, and economic equity. Its distinctive role is to connect public, private, educational, and community partners rather than to sell conventional commercial products.
Economic research and consulting
Institute for Applied Economics
LAEDC’s research division produces economic forecasts, industry studies, labor-market analysis, and economic-impact work covering Los Angeles, California, and national economies. It also provides fee-based, client-specific consulting on development, regulation, business operations, industry clusters, and workforce issues. Its research supports both external decision makers and LAEDC’s own economic-development programs.
Business advisory services
Business Assistance Program
The Business Assistance Program offers confidential, free consulting to large and small businesses, microenterprises, and domestic or international companies. Support can include capital access, incentives and tax credits, permits, utility costs, procurement, marketing, workforce development, cost containment, and business attraction, retention, and expansion.
Foreign direct investment and international business
World Trade Center Los Angeles
World Trade Center Los Angeles is an LAEDC subsidiary that connects international companies with opportunities in the Los Angeles region and helps facilitate foreign direct investment. It supports market connections and investment attraction in emerging and strategically important industries.
Workforce development
Center for a Competitive Workforce
The Center for a Competitive Workforce is a partnership involving LAEDC and 19 regional community colleges. It integrates economic research, industry-cluster knowledge, employer intelligence, business assistance, education planning, and public policy to improve the region’s talent-development system and respond to changing labor-market requirements.
Regional economic development
Industry Cluster Development
LAEDC’s cluster-development work convenes leaders in sectors such as aerospace, bioscience, digital entertainment, logistics, advanced transportation, tourism, information technology, fashion, food manufacturing, and the ocean economy. Activities include council meetings, market access, investment and procurement connections, policy development, and talent-pipeline building.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Clean Tech Los Angeles
Los Angeles · Southern California
LAEDC was a founding member of Clean Tech Los Angeles, a regional effort to support the clean-technology economy and coordinate stakeholders around innovation, investment, and commercialization.
Outcome. Clean Tech Los Angeles founded the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator in October 2011.
- Build Back Better regional application
Los Angeles region · United States
LAEDC served as the lead applicant for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better program, coordinating a regional proposal around economic competitiveness and recovery.
- LA DEAL broadband consortium
Los Angeles region
LAEDC and UNITE-LA convene LA DEAL, the California Public Utilities Commission’s regional broadband consortium for Los Angeles, to coordinate broadband planning and access efforts.
Outcome. The initiative provides a regional coordination structure for broadband-related economic and community development work.
- California Community Economic Resiliency Fund
California
LAEDC acts as convener and facilitator for the California Community Economic Resiliency Fund, supporting coordination around community-level economic resilience.
Brand decisions
- Expand from county economic development into a regional collaboration platformStrategy
Background
LAEDC’s original county economic-development mandate evolved as the Los Angeles economy became more interconnected across municipalities, industries, educational institutions, and international markets.
Action taken
The organization broadened its work to include applied research, industry councils, business assistance, workforce partnerships, foreign direct investment, broadband coordination, and resilience initiatives.
Aftermath
LAEDC now operates across multiple economic-development functions and relies on a broad coalition of public, private, educational, and community partners.
- Integrate workforce development with industry and economic researchStrategy
Background
Changing employer requirements and labor-market conditions created a need for closer coordination between businesses, educators, and workforce organizations.
Action taken
LAEDC developed the Center for a Competitive Workforce partnership with 19 regional community colleges and connected it to the organization’s research and industry-cluster activities.
Aftermath
The partnership created a regional framework for aligning community-college programs and talent development with industry demand.
Recent events
LAEDC supports regional economic recovery and resilience initiatives[2]
Other
The organization has provided COVID-19 recovery resources and participated in broader economic-resilience work for businesses, workers, and communities in Los Angeles County.
LAEDC leads regional application for the Build Back Better program[2]
Other
LAEDC served as the lead applicant for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better program, seeking to coordinate regional economic-development priorities and investment.
LAEDC expands community-college workforce collaboration[2]
Other
LAEDC partnered with 19 regional community colleges through the Center for a Competitive Workforce to connect industry requirements, education programs, applied research, and workforce planning.
LAEDC participates in regional broadband and economic-resilience coordination[2]
Other
Together with UNITE-LA, LAEDC convenes LA DEAL, the Los Angeles regional broadband consortium recognized by the California Public Utilities Commission. It also convenes and facilitates the California Community Economic Resiliency Fund.
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