Where the jobs are

You already know that San Diego companies are shedding workers like surfers strip wetsuits after a session. You might even know someone who has lost his or her job, if not your own.

Unemployment in San Diego hit 8.8 percent in February, up from 3.3 percent in February 2008, according to the state Economic Development Department. That’s a tad higher than 8.6 percent in January, according to figures provided by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).

But all is not doom and gloom. There are jobs out there – with some 60,000 new jobs projected for 2009. The top industries: defense, construction, infrastructure, green and clean tech, health care, education, biotech, hospitality, and youth jobs.  Here’s the breakdown:

Defense

Jobs: engineers, technical specialists, scientists, researchers, laborers

Since the Navy switched from an Atlantic focus to a Pacific focus, San Diego’s military industry has grown in strength.

The defense industry is buffered from downturns by venture capitalists and private sector investors, because it has traditionally relied on government contracts or self-financing, said Michael Jones, CEO, The Security Network, an industry organization promoting security technologies.

In addition, entrepreneurs worldwide come to San Diego in search of new applications for military technology. “That’s why we attract companies here,” said Jones, speaking at a February conference organized by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation.

SANDAG’s chief economist Marney Cox noted that in the next two years, defense is slated to spend $4 billion on construction at Marine bases. This would translate into 48,000 new jobs.

“The timing for the construction expenditures on the Marine bases couldn’t be better,” said Cox. “It is our hardest hit sector, having suffered the most job losses. After many years of downsizing in San Diego, defense is once again spurring growth as it did many times prior to 1990.”

Construction

Jobs: foremen, carpenters, electricians, drywallers, painters, laborers, technicians

With the boost in defense spending, construction jobs will open up at Marine bases. About half the 48,000 new defense jobs expected in the next two years will be for construction activity, according to Cox.

Infrastructure and green and clean tech sectors will also absorb construction workers.

Infrastructure

Jobs: engineers, architects, civil planners, administration, legal services, construction workers

Much of the infrastructure funding comes from federal stimulus funds. Projects comprise the expansion of highways, bridges, ports and other transportation infrastructure.

The work landscape is also changing with the construction industry. Mark Cafferty, president of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, a non-profit agency matching employees with businesses, said more jobs will require new training.

Green and Clean Tech

Jobs: architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, technicians, solar installers, wind turbine installers, construction workers

“Job growth here is going to be huge,” said Workforce’s Cafferty.

Scientists, engineers and architects are needed to do research and create clean technology, he said, for industries, ranging from green buildings to alternative fuels to wind turbine farms. For existing technologies, technicians and construction workers are needed to install equipment and rehab current facilities.

Again, the stimulus package will help fund these jobs. Youths will also benefit. The Workforce Partnership expects to create internships and jobs for youth “in areas that are going to be in demand in the economy in years ahead,” said Cafferty.

However, this sector needs time to grow, as technologies are developed and consumers are educated in using them. Frederic Maas, president, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, which builds green houses, noted that there is a chasm in green education for consumers. Speaking at the EDC conference in February, he said that many home buyers were reluctant to choose green options, even when the price was the same.

Health care

Jobs: nurses, technicians, medical assistants, health aides, emergency responders

People need to take care of their health, in good economic times or bad. With San Diego’s aging population, the health services sector remains strong, said SANDAG’s Cox. Jobs in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and health care services remain in demand.

Workplace’s Cafferty projects that the health care industry will grow by some 1,700 jobs in 2009. Health care grew by 500 jobs, in January alone.

Education

Jobs: Academics, researchers, administrators, online instructors, after-school teachers, tutors

San Diego’s education industry is growing due to several factors, said Workforce’s Cafferty:

• Unemployed workers retraining for new jobs
• Employed professionals upgrading skills
• Students attending universities
• Children attending after-school tutoring programs

The education industry will need employees ranging from academics to after-school teachers, said Cafferty. “In all ways, academia is expanding.” He noted that some schools are cutting jobs due to deficit gaps, but “we still project significant needs there.”

Education will also benefit from stimulus package funds earmarked for job retraining programs and schools. The Workforce Partnership expects this industry to add an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 jobs in 2009.

Biotech

Jobs: scientists, researchers, technicians, administrative services

Biotech is already a key industry in San Diego, and it will benefit further from federal stimulus funding. Stem cell companies, for one, are expected to receive funding , said Chris Woolley, president, Square 1 Bank, which funds life science companies.

Biospace.com, which lists job openings in the life sciences industry, had about 80 openings in San Diego in February. Fresh funds can provide seed money for new companies, as well as help existing companies to expand.

In the next two years, the actual number of new biotech jobs may be relatively small – perhaps 25 new companies, with 10 employees each – or 250 new jobs. “It’s not a huge number,” said Woolley. “But they are high-paying jobs, they attract talented people and they are the seed to growing more high-paying jobs in the future.”

Two other trends are boosting the biotech industry, said Woolley. As baby boomers retire, the demand for health care and pharmaceutical products is continuing to grow, spurring the life science companies that develop these products. Secondly, worldwide demand for health care products continues to expand, as China and India develop.

Hospitality

Jobs: customer service representatives, retail workers, service attendants

The tourism and hospitality industry is shrinking as a whole, but jobs will open during the summer months to serve the influx of visitors. Major attractions, such as the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld, will require at least 2,500 seasonal workers, said Workforce’s Cafferty.

The Workforce Partnership expects this industry to add an estimated 4,600 jobs in 2009, including part-time, seasonal, temporary and full-time jobs.

Summer Jobs for Youth

Jobs: Workers in the public and private sectors

Buoyed by federal stimulus funding, some 3,000 to 4,000 summer jobs will be created in San Diego County, said Workforce’s Cafferty.

Public projects include work in city and county offices, construction projects, transportation, health care, green sectors and schools. Youths will have access to jobs in neighborhood projects, such as clean-ups, health campaigns and public art projects.

Youths will also be placed in private sector companies, at no cost to companies. “The business community is not going to need to pay wages,” said Cafferty. These businesses are “in sectors that will be important industries in years to come.”

“We will be able to put young people to work across the county,” said Cafferty. This alone will stimulate the economy, because “Young people spend money, period.”

Changing Mindsets

With the shifting economy, the number of jobs projected are only estimates, said Workforce Partnership’s Cafferty. The nature of jobs will also change, with more shared, temporary and post-retirement work available, he said.

Employees also need to be willing to change their mindsets to find jobs in this environment. “It’s hard for someone in finance to retrain in, say, healthcare,” said Cafferty. “But as green and new technologies begin to emerge, we need to have people retraining in those areas of future growth where they might not even know what that career is yet. ”

Helen Kaiao Chang is the SDNN business editor.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 7:56 pm and is filed under Business, Job & Careers . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.