The Sierras and Far North regions were critical to California’s early development: they were major sites of the Gold Rush and provided timber for the state’s mines, the Central Pacific Railroad, housing development, and the region’s farmers. The decline of these industries left the region with high levels of unemployment that persist today.

Jobs data across the counties indicate that the economy has largely shifted towards accommodation and food services (based largely on tourism), trucking (among the highest-paid jobs in the region), health care and social assistance (owing to the large portion of residents using MediCal), and retail services.