COE Directors Present on Labor Market Drivers at Statewide Apprenticeship Convening
Three Centers of Excellence (COE) directors representing the Inland Empire/Desert, South Central Coast, and Orange County regions delivered a joint presentation to nearly 250 community college leaders at the Statewide Convening on Apprenticeship Pathways in Costa Mesa, focusing on California’s next decade of work and the role apprenticeship must play in meeting the state’s workforce needs.
New Labor Market Training Series Developed by IE/D COE
The Inland Empire/Desert Center of Excellence (IE/D COE) has developed a Labor Market Information 201 training series (LMI 201), now available online.
IED COE Launches Series of Skills Analysis Reports
To help educators better understand how employer skill needs are evolving, the IE/D Center of Excellence (COE) has launched a new series of sector skills reports aligned with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Priority Sectors.
Inland Empire Jobs Up
The latest employment data from the California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) shows that the region added 18,400 nonfarm jobs between October and November 2025, a 1.1% increase in employment. This growth rate is slightly less than the average November gain of 1.4% seen over the past four years. Over the month, ten sectors added jobs, four sectors lost jobs, and five sectors saw no change in job counts.
Unemployment Rate Decreases; Labor Force Increases by 17,300
The Inland Empire’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2025 was 5.5%, reflecting a 0.4% decrease from the previous month’s revised 5.9% unemployment rate.
August 2025 LMID Data: Employment Updates
The Inland Empire’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2025 was 5.6%, reflecting a 0.1% decrease from the previous month’s revised 5.7%. The California unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.5% in August. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1% over the month to 4.3%, which is considerably lower than that of the Inland Empire and California overall.
August 2025 Jobs Data: Losing Sectors
According to the latest employment data from the Employment Development Department’s Labor Market Information Division (EDD/LMID), the construction sector lost 1,200 jobs between July and August 2025 in the Inland Empire/Desert region. This decline exceeds the sector’s typical monthly reduction of about 400 jobs.
Creating Equitable Futures: Insights on Education and Employment Pipelines in the Inland Empire/Desert Region
The Inland Empire/Desert COE has released its latest research report, 2025 Equity Across Education & Employment Pipelines. This study is particularly exciting because it incorporates K–12 student data, which had not been included in earlier work.
August 2025 LMID Jobs Report
The latest employment data from the California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) shows that the region added 6,400 nonfarm jobs between July and August 2025—a 0.4% increase in employment. This growth is slightly lower than the average August gain of 0.5% seen over the past four years. Over the month, nine sectors added jobs, five sectors lost jobs, and five sectors saw no change in job counts.