The Subregional Profiles break down labor market, education, and student outcome data for six distinct geographic areas of the county to guide career education planning amid shifting industry trends
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC) and the Los Angeles Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research (COE) today released the Los Angeles Subregional Profiles Project, a set of six subregional profiles and a summary report on jobs, education, and workforce trends across Los Angeles County. This is the second release of its kind in Los Angeles County. The first set of reports came out in October 2024.
Rather than treating the county as a single market, the research analyzes demographic, labor market, and postsecondary supply data for six subregions: Central Los Angeles, the Gateway Cities, the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, the South Bay, and the Westside Cities. Each profile identifies labor market opportunities unique to its subregion, helps align career education training with labor market needs, and informs strategic planning and investments by local community colleges.
“Los Angeles County is too big and too diverse for a one-size-fits-all approach to workforce training,” said Dr. Narineh Makijan, Chair/Assistant Vice President Los Angeles Regional Consortium. “These profiles give our 19 colleges a clear picture of the business opportunities and economic trends happening in their own backyard so we can build programs that lead students straight to good-paying careers.”
Los Angeles County is home to 9.6 million people and 5.2 million jobs. The county is projected to add nearly 190,000 jobs by 2035, a 4% increase.
To analyze each subregion’s unique characteristics, the COE used employment concentration, a measure that compares how concentrated an industry or occupation is in a subregion relative to the nation as a whole. A value above 1.0 means the subregion has a higher share of those jobs than the national average. Highlights include:
- Central Los Angeles: Has the greatest percentage of residents over age 25 with a high school diploma or less (52%) and the lowest median household income of any subregion ($62,295). Educational services is its most highly concentrated industry (2.97) and is projected to grow 10% through 2035.
- Gateway Cities: The health care and social assistance industry is projected to add 25,084 jobs (19% growth). Transportation and warehousing is the most concentrated industry, and logisticians and mobile heavy equipment mechanics both have high employment concentration.
- San Fernando Valley: Projected to add the most jobs of any subregion, nearly 58,000 through 2035, including 44,481 in health care and social assistance. The information industry has an employment concentration of 4.67, and producers and directors reach 10.04, the highest of any occupation in the report.
- San Gabriel Valley: Has the largest community college enrollment (198,432 students in 2024-25) and the most awards (28,399 per year on average). Health care and social assistance is projected to add 32,010 jobs (19% growth), and dental hygienists have high employment concentration.
- South Bay: Transportation and warehousing are highly concentrated (2.89), as are aircraft mechanics and service technicians (3.55).
- Westside Cities: Has the greatest percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher (69%) and the highest median household income ($120,681). Arts, entertainment, and recreation is its most concentrated industry (3.14), and paralegals and legal assistants have the highest concentration of any subregion (3.59).
“Countywide numbers can hide what’s really happening on the ground,” said Luke Meyer, Director of the Los Angeles Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research. “Zooming in on each subregion, we see the San Fernando Valley leading in information and entertainment, the South Bay in transportation and warehousing, and health care growing everywhere. This level of detail highlights the unique economic strengths of each subregion and helps colleges invest in the right career education programs for their service area.”
Countywide, health care leads job growth. Health care and social assistance is projected to add 164,382 jobs through 2035, more than any other industry. Growth is strongest in the Gateway Cities and the San Gabriel Valley (19% each) and the San Fernando Valley (18%).
“As college presidents, we rely on data to inform our career education programming,” said Dr. Luis Dorado, President of Los Angeles Harbor College and Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Consortium. “The Center of Excellence produces the reports and tools that provide a real-time picture of the labor market, where it is headed, and what programs and training are needed to meet future workforce demand.”
The COE identified “jobs with a bright future”: middle-skill occupations that are in demand, offer relatively high entry-level wages (more than $28.92 an hour), and typically require fewer than five years of work experience. Middle-skill jobs require more education or training than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. Registered nurses top the list with 5,118 average annual openings and an entry-level wage of $53.43 an hour. Other in-demand occupations include licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, paralegals and legal assistants, police and sheriff’s patrol officers, dental hygienists, logisticians, and aircraft mechanics.
“Our region is adding jobs, but too many residents still can’t reach them,” said Stephen Cheung, President and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. “These profiles show where opportunity is concentrated and where the gaps are widest, down to the community level. That gives employers, colleges, and economic development partners a shared map for growth that reaches every part of the county.”
Education and income gaps across the county are wide, from Central Los Angeles, where 52% of residents over age 25 have a high school diploma or less and the median household income is $62,295, to the Westside Cities, where 69% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and the median household income is $120,681.
The region’s community colleges are delivering results. The 19 colleges enrolled 603,765 students in 2024-25 and averaged 96,923 awards (degrees and certificates) a year from 2022-23 to 2024-25. Surveys of program completers show the share who attained a living wage rose from 35% in 2019-20 to 39% in 2023-24, and 72% attained a job closely related to their field of study in 2022-23. Some career education programs stand out: graduates of railroad and light rail operations programs have median annual earnings of $138,368, and 84% of public works students attained a living wage.
“These reports are highly effective for colleges to understand the changing dynamics of our respective regions and for residents who might be looking for opportunities in high wage, high-growth careers,” added Dr. Brenda Thames of El Camino College and CEO Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Consortium. “Speaking directly for the South Bay, I hope students or working adults who are mechanically-minded will learn how they can apply their interests with jobs in their backyard. That’s what makes this work exciting – strong data that is easily accessible by all.”
About the Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC)
The Los Angeles Regional Consortium coordinates the planning and implementation of career technical education programs among the 19 community colleges of Los Angeles County. Through the state’s Strong Workforce Program, LARC works with colleges, employers, and community partners to prepare students for in-demand careers. Learn more at losangelesrc.org.
About the Los Angeles Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research (COE)
The Los Angeles Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research is part of the California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence network. The COE provides data and analysis on regional labor markets to help community colleges plan programs, close skills gaps, and connect students to careers.
