Job figures from state and city sources show that job growth in the East Bay continues at a healthy rate, especially in industries that employ many Hispanic workers.

Most major industries in the East Bay added thousands of jobs in recent months, with employers increasingly reaching out to Hispanic workers through employment agencies and community publications such as Visión Hispana (the number of local and national employers contacting Visión Hispana has nearly doubled in the last six months). National companies such as Eureka Restaurants, True Food Kitchen, Home Depot, Mission Linen Supply and many others have been hiring rapidly for new locations that are opening in the Bay Area.
 
Large manufacturers, such as Yunsheng USA Inc. in South San Francisco are also seeking bilingual, Hispanic workers and creating Spanish-language websites to help attract Hispanic workers. Most of Yunsheng’s manufacturing happens in Mexico and their client base is worldwide, which requires bilingual sales staff to travel between the U.S., Mexico, and China to visit clients and attend tradeshows and conferences. Even non-commercial employers such as the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command are working to attract Hispanic workers through Spanish-language media outlets.

Thanks to strong demand for residential and office space in the East Bay, there are approximately 70,000 jobs in construction, an industry long-dominated by Hispanic workers. The intense demand for construction workers has also led to rising wages in the industry; the median construction wage in Alameda County is now $65,000, or slightly higher than the median wage for all employment ($62,947). The City of Oakland aims to meet this workforce demand by offering construction training through the West Oakland Job Resource Center, Youth Employment Partnership and Civicorps.

“The economy both in the city of Oakland and the East Bay is beginning to show many signs of strength, with growth of jobs and an unemployment rates at a ten-year low,” says Stephen Baiter, Executive Director of the Oakland Workforce Development Board (WDB), an extension of the City of Oakland’s Economic and Workforce Development department.

The Oakland WDB oversees the federally-funded employment and training programs and services in Oakland. These programs and services help job seekers gain employment and connect businesses with a qualified workforce. The WDB offers workforce training programs for many industries and partners with the Peralta Community College District and other organizations to provide the training. While Oakland’s economy continues to be driven by many of the same longstanding sectors that have provided stability over the long-term, certain sectors are evolving in significant ways. The Oakland WDB lists its priority industry sectors regionally (East Bay) and for the city of Oakland as:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Construction
• Healthcare
• Government
• Information Communication Technology
• Hospitality, Leisure, and Retail
• Transportation & Logistics

According to the State of California’s Employment Development Department, most major industries in the East Bay added jobs in recent months:

Between April 2017 and May 2017, the total number of jobs located in the East Bay counties of Alameda and Contra Costa increased by 4,200 jobs to total 1,155,600. 

• Trade, transportation, and utilities expanded payrolls by 1,300 jobs, far better than its usual increase of 700 jobs between April and May over the prior 10 years.
• Construction added 1,100 jobs seasonally, mainly within specialty trade contractors (up 700 jobs).
• Other major industries posting job gains over the month included: government (up 700 jobs), professional and business services (up 500 jobs), leisure and hospitality (up 300 jobs), other services (up 300 jobs), and manufacturing (up 200 jobs).

Between May 2016 and May 2017, the total number of jobs located in the East Bay increased by 19,800 jobs, or 1.7 percent.  

• Construction led the year-over job gains, adding 4,700 jobs. Specialty trade contractors accounted for more than half of the gains (up 2,800 jobs).
• Private educational and health services expanded payrolls by 4,200 jobs, marking its 70th consecutive month of job increases on a year-over basis.
• Additional major industries posting job gains from last May included: professional and business services (up 2,900 jobs), financial activities (up 2,300 jobs), other services (up 900 jobs), trade, transportation, and utilities (up 600 jobs), and information (up 500 jobs).