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Labor Day by the Numbers
Los Angeles County, 2021

Medical, Nurse, Hospital

Nurse working with a patient. Photo by MCS 2nd Class Sara Eshleman, U.S. Navy.

JOBS

Largest Occupational Fields

First Quarter, 2021

Occupational Title Number Employed
Home Health & Personal Care Aides 197,900
Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand 112,060
Cashiers 98,310
Office Clerks, General 95,950
Fast Food & Counter Workers 92,590
Registered Nurses 86,250
Retail Salespersons 86,100
General & Operations Managers 64,760
Secretaries & Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, & Executive 59,940
Stockers & Order Fillers 59,040

Largest Employment Sectors

July 2021. Not Seasonally Adjusted

Occupational Title Number Employed
Food Services & Drinking Places 329,800
Social Assistance 284,700
Administrative & Support Services 245,500
Ambulatory Health Care Services 232,100
Transportation & Warehousing 204,200
Public Education (K-12) 177,500
Hospitals & Nursing Care Facilities 115,600
County Government 108,900
Motion Picture & Sound Recording 100,600
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 97,700
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 96,600
Specialty Trade Contractors 92,000
Employment Services 91,200
City Government 90,800
Food & Beverage Stores 90,500


Elderly, Care, Worker, Nursing

Personal care worker with a client. Photo by Matthias Zomer via Pexels.com.

Fastest Growing Occupations (2018-2028)

Occupations with at least 1,000 workers and adding at least 1,000 new workers

Occupational Title Base Year Employment Estimate (2018) Projected Year Employment Estimate (2028) Numeric Change Percentage Change
Personal Care Aides 203,170 297,260 94,090 46.3%
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 3,650 4,810 1,160 31.8%
Nurse Practitioners 3,290 4,330 1,040 31.6%
Speech-Language Pathologists 3,830 4,970 1,140 29.8%
Marriage & Family Therapists 7,940 10,200 2,260 28.5%
Occupational Title Base Year Employment Estimate (2018) Projected Year Employment Estimate (2028) Numeric Change Percentage Change
Cooks, Restaurant 46,340 59,240 12,900 27.8%
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, & Mental Health Counselors 9,750 12,390 2,640 27.1%
Software Developers, Applications 19,930 25,310 5,380 27.0%
Respiratory Therapists 4,990 6,290 1,300 26.1%
Taxi Drivers & Chauffeurs 12,750 15,970 3,220 25.3%
Occupational Title Base Year Employment Estimate (2018) Projected Year Employment Estimate (2028) Numeric Change Percentage Change
Home Health Aides 8,020 10,030 2,010 25.1%
Medical Assistants 24,200 29,980 5,780 23.9%
Market Research Analysts & Marketing Specialists 25,480 31,390 5,910 23.2%
Massage Therapists 6,270 7,670 1,400 22.3%
Combined Food Preparation & Serving Workers, Including Fast Food 100,600 123,040 22,440 22.3%

Source of occupational/employment data: California Employment Development Dept., Labor Market Information


INCOME

$36,039 and $31,570

In 2019, estimated median income for men and women, respectively, a 14 percent difference.

$68,044

In 2019, estimated median income for all households. That was a 6 percent increase from 2018.

$83,847

In 2019, estimated median household income for white households that were not Hispanic or Latino. These households had the highest median household income among all racial groups. Asian households followed at $75,326. Hispanic or Latino households had a median income of $52,712 and Black or African American households, $45,886.

Source of income data: U.S. Census Bureau


The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor was first organized in 1885 to then push back at L.A.'s powerful business opposition to organized labor. Today, the organization represents 345 affiliated labor unions in the county, counting more than 800,000 member workers.


WORKPLACE HEALTH INSURANCE

87.3%

In 2019, estimated percent of persons working full-Time, year-round, covered by workplace-provided health insurance.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Traffic on I-405. Courtesy Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs-Carol M. Highsmith's America Project & Library of Congress.


COMMUTING TO WORK

5.7%

In 2019, estimated percent of commuters, or 256,964, who left to work between midnight and 5 a.m. The peak hour for commuters to leave for work (22.9% or 1 million) was 8 a.m. to 8:59 a.m., with 63% of those leaving in the first half of that hour.

32.8 minutes

In 2019, estimated average time to commute to work. This placed Los Angeles County commuters in 90th place among all U.S. counties (New York City commuters averaged about 43-46 minutes; Cook County, Illinois, commuters (Chicago area) averaged 33.7 minutes; San Francisco commuters averaged almost 34.7 minutes).

74.0%

In 2019, estimated percent of commuters who traveled to work alone. Carpoolers made up 9.5% of commuters and 0.8% bicycled to work.

5.6%

In 2019, estimated percent of workers, age 16 and over, who worked at home. Of course, this number would have increased with stay-at-home health orders after the COVID-19 outbreak beginning in 2020.

Source of commuting data: U.S. Census Bureau