California Job Opportunities Increasing

In a possible sign of better things to come, California saw solid gains in job vacancies advertised online in December, according to the latest statistics from the Conference Board.

The board said the largest increase in online labor demand nationwide occurred in the West, with California accounting for 22,700 of the region's gain of 29,500 ads. Statewide, there were 588,700 ads in December, up from 565,900 ads in November, a gain of 4 percent. Last month's total also was up from 569,300 in December 2012.

The board said 28,200 ads were posted in Sacramento last month, a gain of 3.3 percent from 27,300 in November. Sacramento actually had slightly more ads in December 2012, with 28,700.

The latest statistics showed California with 2.79 unemployed people per advertised job vacancy, higher than the national ratio of 2.11-to-1. Sacramento's ratio is 3.31-to-1. Riverside again had the highest ratio among all U.S. cities at 5.77-to-1.

Nationally, the board said, ads rose 125,600 from November to December, to 5,297,100.

“In 2013, labor demand in the first half of the year was flat but was more upbeat in the last six months with gains in a number of occupations,” said June Shelp, vice president of the Conference Board.

——