California's Jobs Climate:
California's Private-Sector Job Losses Among Nation's Worst, While Texas Markets See Biggest Gains

The Los Angeles area posted the nation's sharpest decline in private-sector employment over the past five years, losing 376,400 private-sector positions, according to a recent federal survey. The four-county Sacramento region has lost 84,300 private-sector jobs during the past five years – a decline of almost 13 percent that ranked the area the 96th worst out of 100 cities surveyed.

The survey released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that four Texas markets have registered the nation's strongest employment gains during the same time period. (Source: Sacramento Business Journal, July 30.)

In related news:

Southern California Call Center Jobs Moved to Florida and Texas. About 325 people could lose their jobs October 6 when Hilton Worldwide closes its reservation call center in Hemet and relocates the positions to Florida and Texas – two states with no state income tax, and much lower costs of doing business.

Hilton announced this week that it will shut the 24-hour-a-day center in Hemet and will offer the affected employees severance packages and the opportunity to take positions at call centers in Carrollton, Texas, and Tampa, Florida.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise said this is "the latest in a string of Inland call-center closures that has idled about 1,800 people."

"It's definitely unfortunate that this significant number of jobs will be lost in the community," Hemet City Manager Brian Nakamura said. "I know that they shop in Hemet, they eat in Hemet, a lot of them live in the city of Hemet." (Source: Riverside Press-Enterprise, August 5.)

Cal-TaxReports, August 9, 2010

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