LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Employment Development Department has released its state jobs report with data on high-demand jobs and information about many programs and services that help connect job seekers with hiring employers in recognition of Labor Day.

“California continued its strong job growth over the past year,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias. “EDD will continue to work closely with workforce development partners across California to support workers and employers.”

The EDD’s Labor Day update showcased the top five in-demand middle-skill occupations in each of the state’s 15 economic regions.

Lake County is located in the North Bay economic region.

That region had an overall 3.9% unemployment rate for the July reporting period, ranking it No. 4 of the 15 regions statewide.

The EDD reported the following statistics on the North Bay region’s top job openings for 2020 to 2030.

High-skill occupations

General and operations managers: 11,530 projected job openings, $116,473 average annual wage, 168 job advertisements.

Registered nurses: 7,950 projected job openings, $160,717 average annual wage, 802 job advertisements.

Project management specialists and business operations specialists, all other: 7,710 projected job openings, $102,649 average annual wage, 56 job advertisements.

Elementary school teachers, except special education: 5,430 projected job openings, $85,087 average annual wage, 140 job advertisements.

Accountants and auditors: 4,960 projected job openings, $87,737 average annual wage, 81 job advertisements.

Middle-skill occupations

Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks: 8,330 projected job openings, $57,527 average annual wage, 135 job advertisements.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: 7,900 projected job openings, $58,434 average annual wage, 259 job advertisements.

Medical assistants: 6,830 projected job openings, $58,879 average annual wage, 153 job advertisements.

Teaching assistants, except postsecondary: 5,500 projected job openings, $41,822 average annual wage, 191 job advertisements.

Nursing assistants: 4,640 projected job openings, $45,152 average annual wage, 125 job advertisements.

Entry-level occupations

Home health and personal care aides: 40,760 projected job openings, $34,698 average annual wage, 296 job advertisements.

Fast food and counter workers: 32,560 projected job openings, $37,004 average annual wage, 280 job advertisements.

Cashiers: 31,220 projected job openings, $36,494 average annual wage, 158 job advertisements.

Retail salespersons: 21,340 projected job openings, $38,013 average annual wage, 860 job advertisements.

Waiters and waitresses: 20,470 projected job openings, $35,463 average annual wage, 302 job advertisements.

Jobs driving the state’s economic growth

The EDD is also releasing its annual California Jobs Market Briefing, which highlights labor market trends and identifies the industries driving the state’s ongoing labor force expansion.

California has maintained strong post-pandemic job growth, averaging over 35,200 jobs gained per month in 2023, and completely recovering key industry job totals that had bottomed out during the Pandemic.

The state has completely recovered the approximately 2.7 million jobs lost during that period, and in some industries, eclipsed job growth gained before the pandemic.

California’s economy now includes more than 18.1 million jobs as of July 2023 — a total of 443,500 more jobs in the state than were in place prior to the pandemic outbreak.