The Los Angeles Economy Project is an undertaking of the Milken Institute in collaboration with the Economic Roundtable, Los Angeles Mayor's Office, Workforce Investment Board and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The project identifies sources of underutilized labor within the city and the surrounding area, such as those with low skill levels and those in the informal economy, and determines ways to develop their skills and participate in the growth of the local economy.
The project also provides a better understanding of how to establish capital availability to small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the inner city, and its key role in promoting job and business growth in Los Angeles. Integrating business, labor and capital will encourage growth among the city's numerous minority, women and small businesses and create policies that will improve workers' skills to benefit local industries and companies.
The project provides an important opportunity for the City of Los Angeles to assess and confront significant issues facing it in terms of a growing unskilled labor pool and the need to be more competitive with other parts of the country.
Chapters:
Executive Summary
Recommendations
I. Economic Base and Workforce Conditions of Los Angeles County 1982-2003: Major Industries in Focus
II. Comparison of Los Angeles County, Orange County and Ventura County
III. Los Angeles' Evolving Industry Structure: Economic Profile of Los Angeles City Planning Areas
IV. Comparison of Business Trends: Los Angeles City and the Surrounding County
V. An Analysis of Firm Size in Los Angeles City with Special Attention to Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Firms
VI. Capital Access Initiatives
VII. Entrepreneurship Training to Stimulate Small-Business Growth, Retention and Expansion
VIII. Labor Market Strengths and Weaknesses
IX. Hopeful Workers, Marginal Jobs
X. Workforce Development Initiatives
Executive Summary
A separate publication with just the Executive Summary and Recommendations may also be ordered online. Go to the Executive Summary page.
L.A. Economy Project web site
For more information, including detailed statistics on each of the city's planning areas, and to view the chapters online, visit www.laeconomyproject.com.
