Economic boom good for students

By Chris Ledermuller
Daily Forty-Niner
 
Employment growth in the California economy means good news for students looking for potential employers at the Fall 2000 Job Fair sponsored by the Career Development Center.

"This is really a fantastic time to be graduating" Said Joseph Maggadino chairman of the economics department at Cal State Long Beach and director of the Office of Economic Research. "Employers are calling me to identify students as potential hires in six months."

The Office of Economic Research, auxiliary agency of the CSULB economic department, tracked employment growth in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. The Forecast showed continuing economic expansion for two years, even though it is still slightly less than it has been in previous years.

However, the reduction is no cause for alarm, Maggadino said.

"We're not talking about a recession. We're talking about a more sustainable growth," he said.

Students have great employment opportunities because of the economy, said Hal Schaffer, a career counselor in the Career Development Center and coordinator of the job fair.

"Companies are really looking for more and more people," he said. Nearly 180 companies will be at this year's job fair, and additional firms have been placed on a waiting list, Schaffer said.

According to the forecast, non-farm employment growth in Los Angeles County was expected to be about 2.3 percent through 2002.

Manufacturing is going to pick up some, but it has been hurt because of the financial crisis in Asia.

For Orange and Ventura counties, the forecast for non-farm employment growth was expected to be 3.2 percent and 2.7 percent by 2002, according to the forecast.

Different regions of Southern California vary in employment growth the Inland Empire, made up of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, and were predicted to have the highest rates of employment growth in Southern California, according to the forecast.

The forecast also showed construction to be the largest employment sector in Orange, Riverside and San Bernadino and Ventura counties.