Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of California employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $14.00 in California. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Personal Care Aide to Certified Nursing Assistant
Personal Care Aide Job Description:
- Provide assistance to individuals with disability or illness in completing daily tasks
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required, but must register if employed by a Home Care Organization
- Application for registration ($35, 2 year renewal)
Certified Nursing Assistant Job Description:
- Assist with basic care including the monitoring of health status & medication administration
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Complete a state-approved nurse aide training program, which includes 150 hours of training
- Pass the Certified Nursing Assistant exam ($195)
- Free online course to prepare for the exam is here; free written practice exam is here
2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountant & Auditor
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description:
- Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required by California law, but an Associate’s degree is generally required
- Certified Bookkeeper credential – offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Career Advancement Requirements:
- A Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
- At least 1 year of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $170 application fee)
- Pass the Professional Ethics for CPAs (PETH) exam ($175); preparation course available ($50)
- Social security number is required, but there is no residency or citizenship requirement
3) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete a state-approved nursing program
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Become nationally certified by an accredited agency
- Apply for license
Immigration in California
The following are facts about the immigrant community in California:
- Immigrants comprise 27% of the state population and 33% of the California labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment in California:
- Manufacturing, 887,849 workers
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 882,041 workers
- Retail Trade, 653,716 workers
- Accommodation and Food Services, 630,990 workers
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, 566,778 workers
- 936,795 immigrant business owners account for 38% of all self-employed California resident
- 52% of immigrants in California are naturalized and another 20% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Mexico, 38%
- Philippines, 8%
- China, 7%
- India, 5%
- Vietnam, 5%
- About 24% of native-born Californians are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in California:
- High School diploma or less – 51.7%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 18.9%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 29.4%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 22%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state