While the number of job advertisements posted by regional employers decreased by 14% over the year, the number of employed residents has increased by nearly 1% from December 2023 to December 2024. Employers in the Inland Empire-Desert region posted more than 287,900 jobs ads in 2024. A handful of industries accounted for most of the demand found in employer job ads, with employers in the top five industries posting more than 60% of regional job ads. The chart below displays the top five industries posting job ads in 2024. The demand for healthcare workers found in employer job ads is reflective of strong industry employment growth detailed further in this newsletter.

Job ads are an aggregated reflection of the needs and preferences of individual employers over a period. Job ad data provides insight into the regional demand for occupations and occupational characteristics posted by employers in 2024. However, the complexities of the regional economy and the actual behavior of employers cannot be captured by job ads alone. Regional labor force data, analyzed in the next section, provides greater insight into how the regional economy has changed over the year and how those changes impact the employment opportunities for residents.

Bar graph showing the share of 2024 job advertisements by industry. Health care and social assistance: 20%; retail trade: 16%; accommodation and food services: 9%; manufacturing: 7%; professional, scientific, and technical services: 7%.
Source: COE Analysis of Job Posting Data

Industry and Demographic Trends Show Opportunity for 2025

If current trends continue, the health care and social assistance sector will be a significant driver of regional employment in 2025. With the 65 years and older cohort projected to be the region’s fastest growing over the next five years, it appears that regional employers are positioning themselves to accommodate this demographic shift by expanding the region’s capacity to deliver care in nursing and residential care facilities. Career education institutions will play a pivotal role supporting workforce development efforts aimed at increasing high quality employment opportunities for residents in the region.

The civilian labor force of the Inland Empire grew by 5.3% between 2019 and 2024, while the labor force of California contracted by 0.1%. The regional population is projected to increase by 1.4% over the next five years, while the population of California is projected to decrease by 1.7% over the same period.

The economic outlook of the Inland Empire is bright as its population and labor force growth will facilitate workforce development and business expansion in the region.

Read the latest from the IED COE on “Good Job” opportunities in the region here.