In two separate reports both from local economist John Husing and Claremont McKenna College, the Inland Empire job growth is leading the California marketplace and is outpacing the nation in certain industries. The job growth occurred in logistics, construction and other industries, with transportation adding over 70,000 jobs (2011-17), construction coming in second at approximately 37,500 jobs and restaurant industry at nearly 35,000 new jobs and 31,000 jobs in healthcare.
At the same time, the biggest job losses have occurred in the state and federal education area (down approx. 3500 jobs) and the utilities arena (nearly 700 jobs). While creating his report, Husing stated that the population within the Inland Empire was nearly 4.6 million which is greater than one half of the nation’s 50 states.
In comparison, the two county area grew at a rate of 12.2 percent between 2007 and 2017 and California employment grew on by 8.8 percent and the nation’s growth was at 6.4 percent. The Claremont McKenna report shows the Inland Empire region Gross Domestic Product (GDP)-total value of goods and services—outpaced the nation in recent years.
In 2014 the GDP for the nation was 2.4 percent vs. the Inland Empire of 2.7 percent, 2015 was 2.6 for the nation vs. 3.8 for the Inland Empire, and in 2016 the nation was 1.6 percent vs. 2.5 for the Inland Empire.
Husing has said, “The Inland Empire is hitting on almost all of its cylinders, and it has outpaced other parts of California in both 2017 and early 2018.” Husing, also stated, the Inland Empire outpaced the Golden State in blue-collar jobs, that pay between $45,000 to $60,000 a year. The report shows 40.3 percent of the Inland Empire's jobs added between the years of 2011 and 2017 blue collar positions surpassed the state’s 21.4 percent of new jobs.
The future prediction for this year by Husing is that the Inland Empire will add 45,000 new jobs at a rate of 3.1 percent and that the region’s unemployment rate will average 4.7 percent.