Boom and a really long bust

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

A YouTube video shows unemployment rates by County over the last three years.

As bad as the recession has been for the SCV (an abundance of empty retail fronts, auto row decimated, lots of foreclosures, 8+ percent unemployment), I feel we’ve weathered the storm much better than other parts of the country, and indeed, other parts of Southern California (Inland Empire).

Why do you think that is? Are we less vulnerable than other commuter communities like the Inland Empire? Do we have more stable jobs here in the SCV and in Los Angeles? Are SCVers, lumped together, more responsible with their finances?

Or, am I wrong? Has the recession hit the SCV really hard?

I wish I knew. I feel fortunate to live here and to be employed.

Comments (6)

scvtruthsquadAugust 17, 2010 at 1:06 pm

its hit hard here, there are many people that work outside SCV that have lost jobs and businesses, so it has realy affected everyone..

ScottAugust 17, 2010 at 3:12 pm

Orange county also seems to have weathered the storm pretty well. I know you despise this sort of suburban sprawl, but it seems like the burbs that established themselves early on before the housing boom have done well. It is the communities that tried building out communities in the late 90′s & early 00′s have failed ie Inland Empire, Victorville, Hesperia etc. I do think that our parents generation was fiscally more responsible. I don’t know many people in their 50s, 60s+ that opted for those wild no interest, 3 arm, 5-legged, whatever loans that were going around. I’m no economist, just my 2 cents.

ReaderMamaAugust 17, 2010 at 3:51 pm

I would be interested to see information on what sort of jobs people in the SCV have by percentage. I know we have quite a number of law enforcement and firefighter types living out here. They and other public employees have not been hit by layoffs to the same extent as those working in the private sector. Also, a lot of the growth seen in those outlying areas was all froth fueled by real estate speculation. The SCV is a more desirable place to live in terms of schools and proximity to L.A. jobs, so it stands to reason it wouldn’t be as hard hit as those places. Did anyone see the write up in the Times on California City? Interesting story. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cal-city-20100814,0,2325763.story

CCAugust 17, 2010 at 9:56 pm

It’s hit me pretty hard, as I’m one of the local laid-off teachers. There are no teaching jobs anywhere, and I’m terrified that I may have lost my career. I’m a single parent, which makes it harder. My ex is also jobless, as is my dad. My brother lost his job but found another. And that would be all the working people in my immediate family. My parents got to keep their home, which I now live in because I couldn’t afford mine. My brother had to move, too. Many friends are jobless with no prospects, and I watched several of my students last year have parents who lost jobs & homes. So perhaps you just live in an insulated pocket of the SCV.

ReaderMamaAugust 18, 2010 at 2:51 pm

As the old saying goes, when someone you know loses their job, it is a recession; when you lose your job, it is a depression. You have my heartfelt sympathy. My husband was out of work for four months but was very fortunate to another job (which does pay less). I hope the money Obama approved will put you back to work. No one is suggesting that the SCV has been unaffected. But statistically speaking, it hasn’t been affected to the same degree as other areas.

Tim MyersAugust 18, 2010 at 2:54 pm

RM: The firefighters and law enforcement officers have taken 10 to 15% hits because of the lack of overtime, though that is better than going down to zero.