The Number

At first glance, a new report from the Brookings Institution on “advanced industry” jobs seems to confirm that L.A. just can’t compete against the Bay Area as a mother lode of tech talent. The “America’s Advanced Industries” report defines those industries as heavily involved in technology and innovation, including computers, auto manufacturing, industrial machinery and oil production – sectors that “encompass the country’s best shot at supporting innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth.” In 1980, 59 of the country’s 100 largest metropolitan areas had at least 10 percent of their workforce in advanced industries, but by 2013, only 23 major metro areas contained such heavy concentrations. The San Jose region, which includes Silicon Valley, had the highest concentration at 30 percent, followed by Seattle at 16 percent. Los Angeles had a mediocre 9.1 percent of its jobs in advanced industries, down from 16.5 percent in 1980 – reflecting the decline in the aerospace industry. However, because of L.A.’s enormous population, the region still has 512,890 jobs, ranking second in the nation behind No. 1 New York at 630,000. San Francisco had 297,200 advanced industry jobs and Silicon Valley a mere 291,700 – though if you add the two Bay Area communities together the total is nearly 600,000. One trend the report documents is the migration of advanced industry jobs to second-tier cities such as Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah. In the greater Valley region, the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura market had 31,280 advanced industry jobs, or 10 percent of its workforce. However, since 2010, the number has dropped 1.4 percent in Ventura County. That’s an apparent reflection of the state of Amgen Inc., the Thousand Oaks biotech, which has been trimming its workforce. – Joel Russell