Harsha Devulapalli

1 week ago | sfchronicle.com | Harsha Devulapalli |Roland Li

San Francisco has experienced a turbulent job market since the disruptive pandemic shutdowns, subsequent tech hiring boom and layoff surge, and slow recovery due to remote work. The shift to working from home has bolstered some industries like tech, which can hire in a greater area, while the lack of foot traffic, particularly downtown, has badly hurt others dependent on in-person customers.

1 week ago | sfchronicle.com | Harsha Devulapalli |Danielle Echeverria

S.F. made it easier three years ago to build fourplexes. None has been built as a result

1 week ago | sfchronicle.com | Aseem Shukla |Sarah Ravani |Harsha Devulapalli

Oaklanders voiced their displeasure with embattled former Mayor Sheng Thao by ousting her in a historic recall last fall. On Tuesday, they must come together to pick her successor. Nine candidates are running to replace Thao, who has since been indicted on federal bribery charges and has pleaded not guilty, and finish out the remaining 18 months of her term. Former Rep. Barbara Lee and Oakland City Council Member Loren Taylor are the apparent front-runners.

3 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Danielle Echeverria |Harsha Devulapalli

On a recent Thursday at the North Concord BART station, people exiting trains onto the platform were few and far between. Cows grazing placidly on the nearby hillsides seemed more plentiful. It's no surprise: ridership at the station was down more than 66% in 2024 compared with 2019. And trips to and from downtown San Francisco from the East Bay station were down even more, with 75% fewer trips in 2024 than before the pandemic.

4 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Harsha Devulapalli |Roland Li

Some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies employ thousands of H-1B visa workers, using the skilled foreign labor program to bolster their ranks. The Big Tech dominance of the program has made the Bay Area home to 80% of H-1B visa recipients in the state. H-1B, the largest visa program for skilled workers, enables companies to fill specialty occupations by hiring foreign nationals for three- to six-year stays.