Best Local Companies to Work For in California 2022

Posted on Monday September 12, 2022

If you’re a resident of the beautiful State of California, you recognize that it has a lot to offer. While California has a vast array of employment opportunities, some companies are better than others when it comes to how well employees are treated, work/life balance, employee satisfaction, and beyond. Better understanding some of the best local companies out there and employment statistics for the state overall may help you find the right job for you.

If you are facing a legal concern that affects you as an employee, it’s time to reach out to an experienced California employment law attorney.

Top 10 Best Employers in California

Reports indicate some of the best employers in the State of California – and throughout the nation – and the results represent a good mixture of workplaces that cover a wide range of jobs and skill sets. Some of the employers who received top ranking in California include:

1. Delta Air Lines, which is based out of Atlanta
2. IN-N-Out Burger
3. Costco Wholesale, which is one of only two companies to take top billing in more than one state
4. Microsoft
5. Long Beach Unified School District
6. Sacramento Municipal Utility District
7. Jet Propulsion Laboratory
8. University of California, Davis
9. Sony
10. Amtrak

Forbes also points out some interesting companies that are not quite as large to consider. For example, California’s own Big 5 Sporting Goods experienced the same hit every other company took during the pandemic but has bounced back admirably. While the company’s shares dove to 71 cents at the pandemic’s height and it ended up closing most of its stores, Big 5 Sporting Goods has since rallied remarkably well and is holding its own at $44 per share.

Great Place to Work shares its own list of small companies throughout the state of California that are well-loved by their employees:

• Afresh Technologies – Uses AI-powered solutions to increase food access and eliminate food waste
• Ladder Financial Inc. – It is driven to seamlessly connect more people with affordable life insurance
• Mission Wealth – Offers holistic wealth management services for those families with a high net worth

California Labor Market Top Statistics

In order to get a feel for employment in California, it’s important to have a handle on some of the key statistics – as reported by California’s Employment Development Department (EDD).

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate refers to the number of people in the state who are unemployed as a percentage of California’s entire labor force. Over the past 22 years, California has remained in relative lockstep with the rest of the country, following the same highs and lows of unemployment. Over these two decades, however, California’s numbers have consistently been slightly higher than the nation’s average. In 2022, California’s unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, while the nation’s average is 3.5 percent. Both California and the country at large saw a precipitous pandemic-related spike in unemployment in 2020.

Unemployment Rate by Age Groups

The unemployment rate by age group in California shines a light on the age-related discrepancies in unemployment throughout the state. While the progression in every age group over the last two decades ran parallel to one another, there are distinct variations between age groups. Consider the following:

• Those aged 16 to 19 experience the highest unemployment rate, and they are sitting at 11.8 percent in 2022.
• Those aged 20 to 24 have the next highest unemployment rate, and that rate is currently at 8.2 percent.
• Those aged 25 to 34 have average unemployment rates that slightly exceed those experienced in the older groups – with a current rate of 5.6 percent.
• Those in the age groups that span from 35 to 65 have hovered together over the past 22 years, and they currently range from 3.6 to 5.3 percent.

Labor Force Participation

Labor force participation reflects the percentage of California’s population that is in the labor force, and over the last two decades, California has been consistently higher than the national average – while paralleling those shifts experienced by the rest of the country. Currently, California has a labor force participation rate of 62.4 percent, while the nation’s average is 62.1 percent.

Labor Force Participation by Age Groups

Over the course of the last two decades, each age group has run a consistent course in terms of labor force participation in California, including:

• The group aged from 25 to 34 and the group aged from 35 to 44 have the highest participation rates, and currently, these are 80.3 and 80.9 percent, respectively.
• The groups that include those who are aged from 20 to 24 and those who are aged from 55 to 64 are ranked second, and their current labor force participation rates are 65.9 and 65.1 percent, respectively.
• The group that includes those who are aged from 16 to 19 has a current labor force participation rate of 30.2 percent, while the group that includes those who are aged 65 is at 19.3 percent.

Employment and Labor Force

Employment refers to the number of people in the State of California who are at least 16 years old and employed. The labor force, on the other hand, is the number of those who are at least 16 years old and are either employed or unemployed. The current numbers include:

• The current labor force is 19,326,800.
• The current employment is 18,568,200.
• This makes the current unemployment rate in the state 3.9 percent.

Hours and Earnings in Manufacturing

Data related to hours and earnings in manufacturing reports average weekly and hourly earnings along with average hours worked per week by production workers in the manufacturing industry. Consider the following:

• Average weekly earnings are at $1,294, which is a 3.65 increase over 2021.
• The average hourly rate is $37.74, which is a 3.68 percent increase over 2021.
• The average weekly hours worked is 34.3, which is a 1.15 percent decrease over 2021.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data related to the filing of the initial application of unemployment insurance benefit claims provide financial analysts with important information about the economy’s strength. Higher numbers correspond with a less robust economy, and the largest spike California saw in the last 22 years was in March of 2020, which corresponds with the pandemic. The number reached was 1,058,325, which represents an increase of 871,992 over the week before. The current number of initial unemployment insurance claims is 40,072.

Unemployment Insurance Continued Claims

The unemployment insurance continuing claims measure reflects the number of unemployed workers who qualify for and receive unemployment benefits. The current number is 315,075, which is down 5,354 from the week prior.

Unemployment Insurance Statistics

Additional unemployment insurance statistics include:

• The current minimum weekly benefit amount is $40, the current weekly maximum is $450, and the current weekly average is $334.
• The number of initial unemployment claims filed in May 2022 was 190,638, and the total number of initial claims filed for the year – as of that time – was 986,398.
• The unemployment insurance benefits paid in May 2022 were $419,576,897, and the total unemployment insurance benefits paid for the year – as of that time – was $2,198,423,834.
• In March 2022, $139,573,982 was paid in paid family Leave benefits.
• In March 2022, $623,191,900 was paid in disability insurance benefits.

Job Trends in California

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on those industries that employ the highest number of California workers, including:

• Trade, transportation, and utilities, which includes jobs like running a warehouse, working for a gas company or retail store, or driving a truck
• Education and health services, which include principals, teachers, teacher assistants, doctors, and nurses
• Professional and business services, which include accountants, secretaries, clerks, and other business positions
• Government positions, which include elected officials and their support staff, such as secretaries and clerks

Other industries which are experiencing considerable growth include:

• The leisure and hospitality industry
• Manufacturing
• Construction

Whatever kind of work you’re interested in pursuing, there’s a very good chance that the industry is well represented in the diverse State of California.

Seek the Skilled Legal Guidance of a California Employment Law Attorney

We look to our jobs to support ourselves and our families, and even a relatively minor setback can be exceptionally difficult to overcome. If you’ve been treated unfairly on the job – in terms of wages, overtime, breaks, vacation time, or anything else – help is available.

The trusted California employment law attorneys at Mara Law Firm take great pride in their extensive track record of effectively and efficiently guiding claims like yours toward advantageous outcomes that support our client’s rights and best interests. Your case is important, and we’re here to help, so please don’t wait to reach out and contact or call us at 619-648-2550 for more information about what we can do for you today.