KernLife.com

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As a growing community, Bakersfield has been experiencing an increase in the number of employment opportunities available to residents.  Some of the area’s top employers include Edwards Air Force Base, Kern County Public Schools, County of Kern, China Lake Naval Air Weapons, Grimmway Farms, Giumarra Farms,Catholic Healthcare West and Wm. Bolthouse Farms.  Recently Dreyer’s Ice Cream completed an expansion of its production facility in Bakersfield, bringing the number of persons employed there to nearly 900.

According to data from the state Employment Development Department, in November 2005, the unemployment rate in Kern County was at eight percent, out of a labor force of 323,100.  This represents a one and one-half percent decline in the unemployment rate from a year earlier.  Although this figure seems high on the surface, as a county with a great deal of seasonal employment due to the agriculture industry, Kern County typically has a higher jobless rate than at both the state and national level.

For a look at what’s available in the current job market, try a few of these sites:

The Bakersfield Californian offers job listings online, updated daily. You can post your resume for free to be searched by local employers and set up email alerts for when new jobs matching your criteria are posted.

Career Services Center is a compendium of several agencies and provides free job assistance and job placement opportunities.

Employers’ Training Resource is another service geared toward placing people into jobs at no charge to job seekers.