Job-Posting Growth Largely Fueled By Construction, Service Industries
According to The Conference Board, an independent research association based out of New York, job posting growth in Sacramento, including the greater California area, rose significantly in the month of May largely fueled by a steady growth in construction jobs and more opportunities for employment in service industries, both of which increased by 36 percent over May. Overall, the demand for labor in Sacramento rose by 400 jobs according to online ads seeking employees from 31,600 to 32,000 total job ads posted.
As far as construction growth, Sacramento ranked 67th in total growth when compared other metropolitan areas over a 12-month period. Compared to last year, Sacramento added 3,700 new jobs (or an overall nine percent growth). When compared to its more industrious neighbor across the Bay, San Francisco, the high cost of real estate stifling construction saw only an overall four percent growth in comparison. A big part of this boost comes courtesy of the Sacramento Kings and their downtown arena and mixed-use tower coming along nicely almost a year after starting. This hiring trend was also bolstered by news from the EPA of a cash injection of $1.6 billion in revolving funds "to upgrade the Sacramento Regional Waste-water Treatment Plant." According to Tom Holsman, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of California in a recent interview, the EPA funding suggests "... future demand from new housing and other kinds of construction in the pipeline now."
Growth in jobs from the service industry is also coupled with good news that the jobless claims for the service industry dropped dramatically in the month of May, so much so that the Department of Labor highlighted California in their latest news release on weekly unemployment insurance claims. In addition, an announcement by Sacramento's Mayor Kevin Johnson in his "Think Downtown" marketing campaign aims to build more than 10,000 housing units in Central Sacramento, not only bringing construction jobs but a bolstering of the existing service industries around the area. A list of actions will be presented to Sacramento City Council this summer.
Paulo Acoba is a California native raised in the Bay Area and living in the Central Valley. He enjoys distance running, cycling and grassroots motorsports. He holds a degree in management from the University of California Merced. Paulo has been writing for Examiner.com since 2012 and covering the Fresno area.
