In data prepared exclusively for www.OC180NEWS.com, for the second month in a row, Orange County emerged as the county which created the most jobs so far this year of all California counties. In our exclusive analysis of California’s Employment Development Department job data, in May OC shot past Los Angeles County, which held the top spot through April.

Saying the cash and stock acquisition represents a “transformational change” for Seal Beach based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE) , Andrew J. Littlefair, President and CEO, yesterday announced the company’s plans to purchase IMW Industries, Ltd. (IMW). The two companies have signed a definitive agreement for Clean Energy to acquire IMW for consideration of $125 million plus a cash earn-out arrangement.

In data prepared exclusively for www.OC180NEWS.com Orange County emerged as the county which created the most jobs so far this year of all California counties. In our exclusive analysis of California’s Employment Development Department May job data, OC shot past Los Angeles County, which held the top spot through April.

In another sign the employment picture is getting better, San Francisco, San Diego, Riverside, and Los Angeles show at least two months of gains in a survey of online managerial job postings. Previously www.OC180NEWS reported the first back to back monthly employment gains in Orange County in two years. Employment also jumped back in Los Angeles County in Feburary, see related article.

The state of California, Employment Development Department, EDD, has provided www.OC180NEWS.com with a special analysis of employment data for January. In this analysis, Orange County is the second best in the state for jobs. Los Angeles is the worst. Also included below in this article is advice from CareerCast.com on 10 tough interview questions and how to answer them.

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 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.

Data prepared exclusively for www.OC180NEWS.com shows the number of jobs in Orange County increased again in April. OC fell to 6th of all California counties in job growth, but that was better than Los Angeles, which fell to the 8th slot. In March, LA was in first place and Orange County was second.

For the second month in a row, more people were working in Orange County then in the previous months. February employment for OC showed gains in both of two different surveys used by the state to determine the employment statistics. In addition, Los Angeles County had large employment gains.

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."

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.