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APRIL 2024
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Corporate expansion spurs one of the county’s fastest-growing career sectors |
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It is the business sector that keeps other sectors in business. As companies expand and San Bernardino County becomes an even more popular corporate destination, the professional services provided by accountants, bookkeepers, architects, computer systems designers and others have never been more in demand.
According to a study commissioned by the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (WDB), Business and Professional Services is one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the county, with double-digit percentage increases expected in just about every major employment category.
The study was prepared by the research firm Lightcast, which pegged Business and Professional Services as the third fastest-growing target sector among the seven it analyzed. Additionally, each of the other six sectors in the Lightcast report rely on Business and Professional Services professionals to keep growing.
The quality of these jobs is also noteworthy, with average salaries in several sub-sectors nearing or exceeding $100,000.
It’s a trend that should continue. The Inland Empire’s prominence in healthcare, the global supply chain and other industries is creating even more demand for professional services support, to the tune of 41,000 additional jobs this decade alone, according to projections from the state’s Employment Development Department.
At WDB, we are here to support these opportunities, with services and resources for job seekers and businesses. To learn more, please visit our website.
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Message from the Chair
Educational attainment does matter
William Sterling
WDB Chair
Our continuing series of key employment sectors in San Bernardino County underscores the importance of educational attainment in driving economic opportunity and improving quality of life. Research by Lightcast shows a significant gap in pay levels for college graduates and everyone else. In the Business and Professional Services sector alone, median hourly earnings in the highest-demand occupations requiring less than a Bachelor’s Degree ranged from $16.99 to $27.59. By contrast, the highest-demand jobs requiring a Bachelor's Degree or more paid, on average, $37.38 to $66.34 per hour.
That's not to suggest that a four-year degree is for everyone. It most certainly is not. But educational attainment – be it vocational training, certification, community college or an advanced degree – does make a difference. At the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department, we work closely with businesses, schools and our partner agencies to ensure that every resident has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
If you know someone who could use our help, please guide him or her to one of our three America’s Job Centers of California across the county. And thank you, again, for the opportunity to serve you and this dynamic county we call home.
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Impact Story
Helping Veterans overcome hiring barriers
San Bernardino County is home to more than 82,000 Veterans, many of whom have struggled to gain employment since returning from the service. The Workforce Development Board (WDB) is committed to fixing that. Working closely with local employers, WDB has helped thousands land bold, new career opportunities. At a recent job fair, WDB helped connect Tom Burciaga (below, right) with Kelly Moore (below, left), who share a similar commitment. Tom, Client Relations Director for Talent Sourcing Direct, is a Veteran himself, while Kelly, co-owner of Moore United Construction, comes from a military family. They are working together now to see how they and other like-minded organizations can join forces in serving Veterans.
Then there are companies such as Exquadrum in Victorville who see hiring Veterans as part of their mission and are eager to take advantage of programs such as On-The-Job Training. Through the support of WDB, Exquadrum hired Chris Stratton, a 34-year-old Army Veteran who now works as an Aerospace Technician. “I was pretty blessed. I found out on Wednesday that I was being laid off, and by the next Monday, I was starting work here,” Chris said.
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Monthly Labor Market Update
 San Bernardino County’s major employment indicators were relatively unchanged during February. The unemployment rate remained below the state average, while the total labor force is hovering near historic levels. Across the Inland Empire, healthcare has added the most jobs during the past year (up more than 20,000), followed by local government (up 11,600), according to the California Employment Development Department.
In a separate analysis, published in the Southern California News Group, regional economists Manfred Keil and Ivan Kolesnikov said San Bernardino and Riverside Counties remain “on a positive path” due to employment market diversification, the strength of vital industries such as healthcare and the growth of the labor pool.
“The Inland Empire continues to be the poster child of the economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession ...”
Manfred Keil, Ivan Kolesnikov
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 My first job was at A to Z Liquor Store in Azusa. It was my sophomore year of high school, and I was 15 years old. I worked about 20 hours a week, but most of that was on the weekend. I learned the satisfaction of earning money to help the family, and that no job – not even restocking cans of beer at closing time – was too small or insignificant to not take pride in doing well (and that people would notice someone who took pride in their work). I learned the importance of being able to positively engage with a wide variety of people – from dressed-up wedding guests buying an expensive bottle to impress their friends to folks hustling quarters to buy a can of the cheapest beer. Lastly, I learned that I was resilient and focused enough to balance going to school and doing homework, playing sports, and being a teenager. Looking back, A to Z Liquor proved to be a great training ground!
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Stat of the Month
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Connecting Employers and Job Seekers
Local employers will participate in several hiring events at the County’s America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs) and other venues in the coming weeks:
Tuesday, April 23: Hiring event, Chaffey College Chino Campus, 5890 College Park Ave., Chino, 9 a.m.-noon.
Thursday, April 25: Hiring event, The Mall of Victor Valley, 14400 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, May 8: Hiring Event, Ontario International Airport, Terminal 1, 1940 Moore Way, Ontario, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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Coming Up
WDB hosts free virtual seminars throughout the week to help job seekers on topics such as interviewing skills, resume building and navigating the employment resources that are available. If you know of anyone who could use this valuable assistance, a calendar of upcoming sessions is available here.
In the meantime, here are some upcoming events and release dates:
Friday, April 19: California Employment Development Department releases its March jobs report.
Friday, May 3: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its April jobs report.
Wednesday-Friday, May 8-10: WDB Retreat and General Board Meeting, Lake Arrowhead Resort, 27984 Highway 189, Lake Arrowhead.
Friday, May 17: California Employment Development Department releases its April jobs report.
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Stay up to date
Click here to catch up on past editions of Workforce Update, WDB’s monthly e-newsletter and labor market intelligence report.
If you know others who would like to receive this timely and important information, please invite them to join our mailing list at info.workforce@wdd.sbcounty.gov.
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- WIOA Title I-financially assisted programs or activities are an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. For federal funding disclosure information, visit: workforce.sbcounty.gov/about/ffd/
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