LA Economic Advantages

The advanced manufacturing sector embraces several thriving sub-industries, including the Aerospace and Defense industries, its world-class food manufacturing sector, and the world’s most innovative entertainment and media industries.

The home of the largest seaport system in the Western Hemisphere, its two major ports – Long Beach and Los Angeles – handle over 40% of the nation’s inbound cargo containers. The port system alone employs over 160,000 workers through its web of high-capacity rail networks, embedded trucking and transport industries, and almost endless warehousing and distribution opportunities. One of the nation’s busiest airports, LAX, employs thousands, as does the County's thriving car culture. As an international trade hub, LAC moves billions of dollars of goods and supplies every day while employing hundreds of thousands of workers.

The Energy, Construction, and Utilities  industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that generates over 120,000 jobs and accounts for three percent of the County’s overall employed population.

Healthcare industries also thrive in LA County, employing more workers than any other single industry in healthcare services and healthcare manufacturing and technology. A vast array of existing and growing sub-industries contribute to the sector’s growth, as healthcare research and services incorporate more technologies, which, in turn, generate a need for well-trained workers across all levels of education.

Life Sciences/Biotech also populate a significant and growing industrial sector, which embraces both Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceuticals development. Medical device manufacturing is a growing sub-industry with rising demand for middle-skill workers, which opens career opportunities for sector priorities, including quality control, regulatory compliance, and clinical research support services.

LA County is also home to many of the country’s primary hospitality, retail, and tourism destinations, driving the growth of its hotel, rental car, and restaurant industries. Technological innovation is also emerging in these sectors, contributing to the demand for better-trained middle-skilled workers with digital and hospitality skills.