In a non-governmental survey of 30 major metropolitan areas, the national numbers show significant growth in per capita on-line managerial job postings. But, the results vary by region with the Northwest showing the strongest numbers. "Even though the Southwest and Western areas of the country did not see a strong demand this month, the overall rise in recruitment activity is promising," says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com. "The Index shows the beginning of a hiring rebound, which is good news for those who have been unemployed for many months."

If you are among the 2,254,000 Californians, or the 584,300 folks in Los Angeles County, or the 147,000 Orange County residents, who are looking for a job, a new report on jobs might provide some ideas. This survey, dubbed the CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index, which measures managerial recruitment activity online, lost some ground in January, But not all the news is bad. In fact, according to the survey, San Francisco ranks third nationally.

The first touts in this year’s boxing contest over continuing production of the C-17, which is assembled in Long Beach, have begun—Spring must be quickly approaching. In this election year, with the Democrats scared to enter the ring, and the Republicans trying to perfect an antispending/antigovernment right jab, the annual boxing match over the fate of the Boeing built C-17 heavy airlifter is about to get underway.

There is plenty of good news in this report for the 5,000 builders of the Boeing C-17 in Long Beach. We also have good news about Amonix and MagTek, Inc., both of Seal Beach. In this biweekly series, we present updates on businesses of interest to West Orange County people.

As the New Year begins, there are plenty of things happening with West Orange County, and nearby, companies. In this biweekly series, we present updates on businesses of interest to West Orange County people. These companies did not slow down during the holidays. Read about new developments at the Boeing C-17 production line, Boeing satellite business, Clean Energy Fuels Corp., Long Beach Transit, EasyMedOnLine, and Idearc Media.

At the end of last week, as the Feds were busy closing more banks, including one in California, the state Employment Development Department, EDD, released California unemployment numbers for November. The state wide unemployment rate fell from 12.5% to 12.3%. Below are some updates on businesses of interest to West Orange County people.

In our most recent West Orange County Business and Jobs Biweekly Update—November 23, 2009 (see “More West OC Business and Jobs” below), , we reported that there had been an increase in California employment in October, the first month over month increase since early last year. That statistic came from the California Employment Development Department. Now, a private job index also reports positive job news for managerial hiring in the four major California metropolitan areas.

The National League of Cities, NLC, which represents 19,000 cities, towns and villages, and more than 218 million Americans, will award 8 cities, including Long Beach, their award for Municipal Excellence at the 2009 Congress of Cities & Exposition in San Antonio, Texas. The awards will be given at an awards ceremony and luncheon tomorrow in San Antonio.

Just as two local businesses failed—Mel’s Drive-in in Seal Beach and Denny’s in Los Alamitos-- another company expands in Orange County. Opening for business in OC is fast growing Arborwell--and, they are hiring in Orange County.

The State of California Employment Development Department, EDD, reported last Friday the Orange County unemployment rate fell in December to 9.1%, down from 9.6% in November. The rate decreased in Orange County, while it held steady at 12.4% statewide. The number of people working in Orange County, either decreased moderately, or managed a slight increase.

If one of your New Years resolutions is to find a new career, you might want to check out this ranking of 200 American jobs. This very comprehensive job ranking considers everything from physical labor, to earnings potential, to job stress. According to Tony Lee, publisher of the CareerCast.com 2010 Jobs Rated Report, the jobs that ranked near the top not only pay well, but also have the greatest potential for growth as the economy rebounds. Some of the rankings, such as surgeons, might be surprising.

By Seth Eaker, President, Seal Beach Chamber of commerce

This year of business in Seal Beach has been marked by ups and downs, but more often than not, it has been our locals and fellow citizens who have helped business survive. Below is my review of what has happened in our town over the last year of business. It has been full of challenges. For some--Mel’s Diner (see related article below), Minx Fashion Shop, Lei of Love, and Circuit City—some had to close their doors. But, we have seen a rebound in many spaces, like Home by the Seashore and Marshall’s moving into our community.

Last week, the federal government announced better than expected employment numbers for November. The state numbers are not announced until about three weeks later, but, nationally, the number of jobs lost, 11,000, was the smallest since the Great Recession began. Below are some interesting updates on West Orange County businesses.

Finally—the good news we have been waiting for—for the first time since April 2008, more Californians were working in October than in the previous month! Even though the unemployment rate actually increased, in the opinion of OC180NEWS.com, the increase in employment is more important. The California Employment Development Department reported the October data late last week and that data shows a statewide employment increase of 25,700 people compared to the number who had jobs during September. In Orange County the number of employed workers increased by 8,200 and for Los Angeles, it went up by 36,600. Below are some interesting updates on West Orange County businesses.

Today we begin a regular biweekly survey of significant business and job developments of interest to West Orange County communities. This biweekly series will appear on every other Monday, alternating with our long running Orange County residential real estate Updates. This series will focus on, for the most part, local companies which are moving forward, even in these difficult economic times. Whether you are a senior level executive, an artist, salesperson, a contractor, or a customer service representative, your business opportunities will more likely be successful with companies which are ahead of the curve. If you are looking for a job, have a professional service to offer, or business-to-business products for sale, the progressive companies referenced in this series could be good places to start.

Mel’s Drive-In at the Shoppes at Rossmoor is history; they closed their doors this week. Denny’s on Katella in Los Alamitos also has closed. Mel’s was open for just about 2 years. The landlord is looking for a national chain to take over the space.