Employment opportunities may be more easily attained in Long Beach compared to other cities in California.
The city of Long Beach unemployment rate has improved to its lowest level since the early months of the past recession, according to a press release from City Hall Tuesday.
“The jobs [created] were spread through a number of market sectors, mostly focused in general retail, restaurants and transportations,” Director of Economic and Property Development Michael Conway said. “The jobs were generated from the private section, essentially funded through an increase in consumer spending.”
Mayor Garcia said in the press release that there were 3,400 jobs added in the last year and that the city is committed to making Long Beach even more business friendly by reviewing business license processes and providing new incentives for small businesses.
49er Bookstore cashier and senior mechanical engineer Leo Serna said that he’s had a hard time finding internships and jobs as an undergraduate student.
“Not only do you have these pre-qualifications to complete, but you are competing against other people from other schools or even the same school, so there’s not that many job postings,” Serna said. “You may be taking a part time job, but you aren’t going to do what you want to do.”
The Long Beach jobless rate is 7.9 percent as of March, and the Los Angeles County rate is 7.6 percent, according to the Unemployment Development Department. The total employment rate in Long Beach has grown by 19,000 new payroll jobs since July 2010 and now stands at 222,600 as of March, according to the press release.
Receptionist for the Career Development Center and freshmen communications major Alex Patricio said that because there are more jobs in Long Beach, it shows that our city and economy is growing and provides better resources in the city for residents.
Garcia said in the press release that the economy is back on track with new jobs and more businesses calling Long Beach home.
“Long Beach’s unemployment rate compares well with LA County and the state of California generally,” Conway said. “While slightly higher, there are many factors that would influence this, including more people searching for work and an increase in part-time workers.”
According to EDD, the Los Angeles County educational and health services expanded by 31,000 jobs to reach an employment high at 776,4400.
Long Beach officials have sought to attract businesses to the city by trying to match properties formerly owned by Long Beach’s now-defunct redevelopment agencies to developers, according to the Press-Telegram.
The press release on Tuesday stated that the California Department of Finance approved the City’s Plan to develop after the State of California dissolved Redevelopment Agencies four years ago.
“The approved Long Range Property management plan sets forth the guidelines for disposing of the former Redevelopment Agency-owned property. We have conveyed a majority of the government use property, listed the For Sale property, and will shortly be releasing RPS for a number of the Future Development properties,” Conway said.
Conway said that the Downtown Plan provides a guide to future development in the Downtown and provides more certainty to developers seeking to reduce the risk of discretionary review on proposed projects.
The press release commended the business district Douglas Park for being very successful.
“Virgin Galactic will employ about 200 people at full capacity,” Conway said. “UTI is expected to not only employ teachers and staff, but will matriculate a large number of students as well, many of whom could find work right across the street at Mercedes Benz.”
