August 15, 2025 • 4 mins
The job market in Los Angeles in 2025 is displaying mixed signals, reflecting broader national and regional shifts. According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, the unemployment rate in Los Angeles County remains elevated, hovering around 8 percent, significantly above state and national averages. The Conference Board’s August 2025 Help Wanted Online Index reports a slight drop in online job vacancies nationally, down 1 percent from the prior year, signaling a moderating demand for labor. Industry observers like AvalonBay Communities and Truist analysts note that although early 2025 saw moderate job growth and strong rental demand, expectations for job creation in the second half of the year are subdued, mainly due to uncertainty in entertainment and technology sectors and a cooling economic outlook. The entertainment industry, traditionally one of L.A.’s economic anchors, faces further disruption despite a recent doubling of film and TV production incentives to $750 million by the state, an initiative designed to spur activity but whose impact has yet to fully materialize for the broader job market.
Major employers continue to include giants like Kaiser Permanente in healthcare, the University of California and Los Angeles Unified School District in education, and Walt Disney Company and Netflix in entertainment and digital media. The largest and fastest-growing sectors remain healthcare, technology, logistics, and creative industries, but even high-growth areas like technology and logistics are impacted by tightening consumer demand and rising costs. Notably, California’s minimum wage is set to rise to $16.90 statewide in January 2026, with some sectors in Los Angeles—such as hotel, airport, fast food, and healthcare—already reaching wages between $20 and $25 an hour. Proskauer’s August 2025 report indicates that wage hikes, while intended to improve living standards, have accelerated automation and job losses in sectors like fast food, with an estimated 18,000 jobs eliminated since the minimum wage increase.
Recent developments include increasing investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI-driven industries, as Los Angeles seeks to remain competitive as a talent hub. However, hiring appetite is softening, especially for mid-level and entry roles, as employers react to inflation, global instability, and slowing consumer spending. Seasonal job patterns persist, with spikes in retail, tourism, and entertainment hiring during summer and winter holidays but less pronounced than in previous years. Commuting patterns continue shifting, with remote and hybrid positions now a permanent fixture in corporate hiring, although logistics, retail, and healthcare still rely heavily on on-site personnel.
Government initiatives for 2025 have focused on wage enforcement, expanded film tax credits, and new regional apprenticeships in tech and trades, alongside incentives for green jobs and digital upskilling, as reported by the Los Angeles Business Journal and Proskauer. Despite these efforts, the labor pool faces persistent challenges from housing affordability, worker mobility, and competition for high-skilled talent. Market evolution now points toward a more competitive, skills-based market, favoring candidates who can quickly adapt to changing technology and regulatory landscapes.
Key findings for listeners are that the L.A. job market remains resilient but faces headwinds from high unemployment, sectoral volatility, and automation pressures, even as wage growth and government incentives try to stimulate hiring and innovation. Currently open positions include a data analyst at Walt Disney Company, a registered nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and a logistics coordinator at Amazon’s L.A. fulfillment center.
Thank you for tuning in and remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Major employers continue to include giants like Kaiser Permanente in healthcare, the University of California and Los Angeles Unified School District in education, and Walt Disney Company and Netflix in entertainment and digital media. The largest and fastest-growing sectors remain healthcare, technology, logistics, and creative industries, but even high-growth areas like technology and logistics are impacted by tightening consumer demand and rising costs. Notably, California’s minimum wage is set to rise to $16.90 statewide in January 2026, with some sectors in Los Angeles—such as hotel, airport, fast food, and healthcare—already reaching wages between $20 and $25 an hour. Proskauer’s August 2025 report indicates that wage hikes, while intended to improve living standards, have accelerated automation and job losses in sectors like fast food, with an estimated 18,000 jobs eliminated since the minimum wage increase.
Recent developments include increasing investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI-driven industries, as Los Angeles seeks to remain competitive as a talent hub. However, hiring appetite is softening, especially for mid-level and entry roles, as employers react to inflation, global instability, and slowing consumer spending. Seasonal job patterns persist, with spikes in retail, tourism, and entertainment hiring during summer and winter holidays but less pronounced than in previous years. Commuting patterns continue shifting, with remote and hybrid positions now a permanent fixture in corporate hiring, although logistics, retail, and healthcare still rely heavily on on-site personnel.
Government initiatives for 2025 have focused on wage enforcement, expanded film tax credits, and new regional apprenticeships in tech and trades, alongside incentives for green jobs and digital upskilling, as reported by the Los Angeles Business Journal and Proskauer. Despite these efforts, the labor pool faces persistent challenges from housing affordability, worker mobility, and competition for high-skilled talent. Market evolution now points toward a more competitive, skills-based market, favoring candidates who can quickly adapt to changing technology and regulatory landscapes.
Key findings for listeners are that the L.A. job market remains resilient but faces headwinds from high unemployment, sectoral volatility, and automation pressures, even as wage growth and government incentives try to stimulate hiring and innovation. Currently open positions include a data analyst at Walt Disney Company, a registered nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and a logistics coordinator at Amazon’s L.A. fulfillment center.
Thank you for tuning in and remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The job market in Los Angeles in twenty twenty five
is displaying mixed signals, reflecting broader national and regional shifts.
According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, the unemployment rate
in Los Angeles County remains elevated, hovering around eight percent,
significantly above state and national averages. The Conference Board's August
(00:21):
twenty twenty five Help Wanted Online Index reports a slight
drop in online job vacancies nationally, down one percent from
the prior year, signaling a moderating demand for labour. Industry
observers like Avalon Bay Communities and truest Analytics note that
although early twenty twenty five saw moderate job growth and
(00:41):
strong rental demand, expectations for job creation in the second
half of the year are subdued, mainly due to uncertainty
in entertainment and technology sectors and a cooling economic outlock.
The entertainment industry, traditionally one of LA's economic anchors, faces
further disruption despite a recent doubling of film and TV
(01:03):
production incentives to seven hundred and fifty million dollars by
the state, an initiative designed to spur activity but whose
impact has yet to fully materialize. For the broader job market.
Major employers continue to include giants like Kaiser Permanente in healthcare,
the University of California and Los Angeles Unified School District
(01:23):
in education, and Walt Disney Company and Netflix in entertainment
and digital media. The largest and fastest growing sectors remain healthcare, technology, logistics,
and creative industries, but even high growth areas like technology
and logistics are impacted by tightening consumer demand and rising costs. Notably,
(01:47):
California's minimum wage is set to rise to sixteen dollars
and ninety cents statewide in January twenty twenty six, with
some sectors in Los Angeles such as hotel, airport, fast food,
and health care already reaching wages between twenty dollars and
twenty five dollars an hour. Pross Cowers August twenty twenty
(02:10):
five report indicates that wage hikes, while intended to improve
living standards, have accelerated automation and job losses in sectors
like fast food, with an estimated eighteen thousand jobs eliminated
since the minimum wage increase. Recent developments include increasing investment
in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI driven industries as
(02:35):
Los Angeles seeks to remain competitive as a talent hub. However,
hiring appetitis softening, especially for mid level and entry rolls,
as employers react to inflation, global instability, and slowing consumer spending.
Seasonal job patterns persist, with spikes in retail, tourism, and
(02:56):
entertainment hiring during summer and winter holidays, but less pronounced
than in previous years. Commuting patterns continue shifting, with remote
and hybrid positions now a permanent fixture in corporate hiring,
although logistics, retail, and health care still rely heavily on
on site personnel. Government initiatives for twenty twenty five have
(03:18):
focused on wage enforcement, expanded film tax credits, and new
regional apprenticeships in tech and trades, alongside incentives for green
jobs and digital upskilling, as reported by the Los Angeles
Business Journal and Prosscauer. Despite these efforts, the labor pool
faces persistent challenges from housing affordability, worker mobility, and competition
(03:41):
for high skilled talent. Market evolution now points toward a
more competitive skills based market, favoring candidates who can quickly
adapt to changing technology and regulatory landscapes. Key findings for
listeners are that the LA job market remains resilient, but
faces head winds from high unemployment, sectoral volatility, and automation pressures,
(04:03):
even as wage growth and government incentives try to stimulate
hiring and innovation. Currently open positions include a data analyst
at Walt Disney Company, a registered nurse at Cedar Sinai
Medical Center, and a logistics coordinator at Amazon's LA Fulfillment Center.
Thank you for tuning in and remember to subscribe. This
(04:25):
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
quiet please dot a I
The job market in Los Angeles in twenty twenty five
is displaying mixed signals, reflecting broader national and regional shifts.
According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, the unemployment rate
in Los Angeles County remains elevated, hovering around eight percent,
significantly above state and national averages. The Conference Board's August
(00:21):
twenty twenty five Help Wanted Online Index reports a slight
drop in online job vacancies nationally, down one percent from
the prior year, signaling a moderating demand for labour. Industry
observers like Avalon Bay Communities and truest Analytics note that
although early twenty twenty five saw moderate job growth and
(00:41):
strong rental demand, expectations for job creation in the second
half of the year are subdued, mainly due to uncertainty
in entertainment and technology sectors and a cooling economic outlock.
The entertainment industry, traditionally one of LA's economic anchors, faces
further disruption despite a recent doubling of film and TV
(01:03):
production incentives to seven hundred and fifty million dollars by
the state, an initiative designed to spur activity but whose
impact has yet to fully materialize. For the broader job market.
Major employers continue to include giants like Kaiser Permanente in healthcare,
the University of California and Los Angeles Unified School District
(01:23):
in education, and Walt Disney Company and Netflix in entertainment
and digital media. The largest and fastest growing sectors remain healthcare, technology, logistics,
and creative industries, but even high growth areas like technology
and logistics are impacted by tightening consumer demand and rising costs. Notably,
(01:47):
California's minimum wage is set to rise to sixteen dollars
and ninety cents statewide in January twenty twenty six, with
some sectors in Los Angeles such as hotel, airport, fast food,
and health care already reaching wages between twenty dollars and
twenty five dollars an hour. Pross Cowers August twenty twenty
(02:10):
five report indicates that wage hikes, while intended to improve
living standards, have accelerated automation and job losses in sectors
like fast food, with an estimated eighteen thousand jobs eliminated
since the minimum wage increase. Recent developments include increasing investment
in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI driven industries as
(02:35):
Los Angeles seeks to remain competitive as a talent hub. However,
hiring appetitis softening, especially for mid level and entry rolls,
as employers react to inflation, global instability, and slowing consumer spending.
Seasonal job patterns persist, with spikes in retail, tourism, and
(02:56):
entertainment hiring during summer and winter holidays, but less pronounced
than in previous years. Commuting patterns continue shifting, with remote
and hybrid positions now a permanent fixture in corporate hiring,
although logistics, retail, and health care still rely heavily on
on site personnel. Government initiatives for twenty twenty five have
(03:18):
focused on wage enforcement, expanded film tax credits, and new
regional apprenticeships in tech and trades, alongside incentives for green
jobs and digital upskilling, as reported by the Los Angeles
Business Journal and Prosscauer. Despite these efforts, the labor pool
faces persistent challenges from housing affordability, worker mobility, and competition
(03:41):
for high skilled talent. Market evolution now points toward a
more competitive skills based market, favoring candidates who can quickly
adapt to changing technology and regulatory landscapes. Key findings for
listeners are that the LA job market remains resilient, but
faces head winds from high unemployment, sectoral volatility, and automation pressures,
(04:03):
even as wage growth and government incentives try to stimulate
hiring and innovation. Currently open positions include a data analyst
at Walt Disney Company, a registered nurse at Cedar Sinai
Medical Center, and a logistics coordinator at Amazon's LA Fulfillment Center.
Thank you for tuning in and remember to subscribe. This
(04:25):
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
quiet please dot a I
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!