The job numbers for the month of August are out. Brace yourselves. California’s unemployment dropped just 0.1 percent from 10.7 percent in July to 10.6 percent. You have to look at the bigger picture. California has added nearly 300,000 jobs in the last year and the state’s unemployment is down over a point since it peaked at nearly 12 percent last year.
The California Economic Summit Workforce Preparation Action Team has been working with many others on how to improve job creation in California and is making progress on a number of fronts. The Action Team has been working to prioritize workforce training resources to support the growth of major regional industry sectors.
California, which as we all know is a huge state, has a series of regional economies that have different drivers. But in each region, there is a need for more qualified workers. While there’s been progress, changes can’t happen overnight. Thus, unemployment is still stubbornly high in the Golden State.
Chief Economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Council, Dr. Robert Kleinhenz, took a look at the recent unemployment report and shared his thoughts on how California can get back on track with California Forward’s Cheryl Getuiza.
