Two tents in Hollywood erected beneath the 101 Freeway during a January rainstorm. (Matt Tinoco/KPCC)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A job seeker fills out an application during a career fair at the Southeast Community Facility Commission on May 21, 2014 in San Francisco; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California employers added 44,200 jobs in August, the largest gain of any state in the country. The state's unemployment rate stood still at 7.4 percent, compared to 6.1 percent nationwide.

"When the national numbers came out for August, and we saw a significant slowdown in job creation, we were a little bit concerned that we'd see the same thing happening here," said economist Kimberly Ritter-Martinez of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. "But in California, we stayed pretty much on track, outpacing the nation in terms of job creation." 

The construction sector was a huge contributor to California's job growth in August, with a gain of 13,600 jobs.  The other sectors with large gains were Education/Health Services (+12,200), and Professional/Business Services (+10,600). 

"We've been seeing steady increases in construction employment for some time, but it has been a slow steady increase," said Tom Holsman, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of California.

"Recent increases are attributable to many projects that have been in the early stages of startup gaining momentum," Holsman added, citing LA County Metro transit projects and the new Wilshire Grand Hotel construction project as local examples.

In Los Angeles County, the unemployment rate also stayed flat at 8.1 percent, but it remains far lower than the 9.9 percent of August of 2013. In the last twelve months, the L.A. County Metro area has gained 6,600 construction jobs, a rate of 5.6 percent.

Ritter-Martinez, of the LAEDC says other economic indicators support a boost in construction jobs at the Los Angeles and statewide levels: permits for new housing construction, remodeling, and non-residential construction are all on the rise. 

"Builders and developers are reporting that they're having trouble finding some skilled labor for construction," Ritter-Martinez said. "It's taken so long for that sector to come back, a lot of construction people have gone off and found other kinds of jobs or moved out of the region." 

In Orange County, the unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, down from 5.7 percent in July. The unemployment rate in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was 8.7 percent in 
August 2014, down from a revised 9.3 percent in July 2014.

The used automotive part search engine Get Used Parts has launched its first iOS app for the iPhone in conjunction with the relaunch of GetUsedParts.com.

Commercial drivers in Orange County who are in need of expert legal representation should contact Mr. Ticket.

Atlantic Tire & Service is pleased to announce two new Service Advisors who will be responsible for handling customer service needs and advising customers on recommended services when appropriate.

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has announced updates to the saveONenergy Retrofit Program that provide additional financial incentives for Ontario businesses to reduce energy used by lighting, HVAC systems, refrigeration systems, and building plug loads.

Enercare Inc. has announced the launch of the Enercare Fresh Start Program, a new corporate social responsibility program designed to help families transitioning between temporary shelters and a home of their own.

FPSA foundation also supported food-insecure communities through the DEFEAT HUNGER initiative.

The OSCE Presence in Albania on 24 March 2016 launched a series of workshops for the Albanian border and migration police with the aim of raising their capacity to respond to the challenges of irregular migration, particularly in light of the increased migrant flows through the Western Balkans.

The first of the workshops, which are being organized in close partnership with the Directorate of the Albanian State Police and the General Directorate of Border and Migration, took place in Korça, where 20 border and migration police were trained on measures to be taken to cope with the situation.

The subjects were based on trends as identified by Frontex and EUROPOL, and included migrant routes, the pre-screening of migrants, profiling of possible terrorist fighters, and the detection of criminal offences. The workshop was conducted by experts from the Albanian Europol National Unit and the Albanian Border and Migration Police.

The OSCE Presence, together with its Albanian partners, will organize similar workshops in the coming days with the border and migration police in Gjirokastra and in Shkodra. 

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PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 27 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission together with the Kosovo Police will hold a two-day conference on preventing violent extremism and radicalization, starting tomorrow in Prishtinë/Priština. 

The conference will gather representatives of law enforcement agencies, religious communities, civil society, academia and media, and will explore a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing the threats of violent extremism and radicalization in Kosovo.

Participants will also elaborate on measures taken so far to prevent violent extremism and radicalization, as well as the challenges they face.

Major Fatos Makolli, Director of the Directorate against Terrorism of the Kosovo Police, and Naim Hoxha, Organized Crime Advisor at the OSCE Mission, will deliver opening remarks.

Media representatives are invited to attend the opening of the conference on Tuesday, 28 June 2016, at the Hotel Sirius in Prishtinë/Priština, starting at 09:30 hrs. 

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I'm trying to remember the title of a book that, realistically, I probably read about somewhere here on MeFi. It's post-apocalyptic, I believe it was written by a female author.

The plot summary, as I remember it: Humanity has ruined/is in the process of ruining the environment, and so an unknown entity releases a virus(?) that makes everyone infertile. As a result, an unknown entity puts together a system of cameras, computers, etc. that will record the last days of humanity for posterity. The book is comprised of chapters about the last human on earth (female, named Sarah?), as well as flashbacks of when the world was circling the drain. There are also additional chapters that are written from the point of view of the AI(?) that is compiling the data of the last human on earth. The last human on earth is not happy about her situation, and destroys the drones and cameras that are recording her last moments.

Maybe the cover was blue?

Thanks in advance!

Birds descended from the dinosaurs, but researchers have known relatively little about how the bird's brain took shape. An 80 million-year-old bird fossil that sheds light on that mystery.

The Colorado Avalanche got dragged into a defensive slog Wednesday night with the Los Angeles Kings, but having more world-class players than the other team works in those types of contests, too.

Victor Wembanyama had a career-high 50 points and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

LISBON, Portugal — Tech giants are increasingly investing in the development of so-called "sovereign" artificial intelligence models as they seek to boost competitiveness by focusing more on local infrastructure. Data sovereignty refers to the idea that people's data should be stored on…

Young MumsAid was set up in south-east London 10 years ago using funding from Children in Need.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said illegal miners trapped underground are criminals, and the government won't send help.

Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome needed time and three NHL teams to develop into a force. But his three seasons with the Caps so far have removed any bust labels.

Administration initially said that negotiations had failed and the land would be expropriated within four to eight months.

The study showed that people without the SI gene may have a hard time digesting sugary foods, making them dislike it.

Math can help skateboarders enhance their performance on half-pipes by using optimal body positions. A recent study showed that crouching when descending and standing at strategic points boosts speed and height, achieving faster results. This research could also aid robotic motion, simplifying complex movement tasks for machines.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank have agreed to form a joint working group on trade to capitalise on the country’s true export potential.

The understanding was reached during a meeting of Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan with a team from the World Bank. Both sides agreed that the working group would meet periodically to advance the goal of realising Pakistan’s export potential of $60 billion.

An official announcement said both sides discussed Pakistan’s export reform agenda, focusing on strategies to enhance export competitiveness and streamline enabling policies.

The discussion also addressed how the World Bank can support these initiatives under the broader country programme.

Mr Kamal highlighted the whole-of-government approach to export enhancement, which promotes a unified policy framework to improve competitiveness and the Ease of Doing Business for exporters.

This strategy emphasises export-led growth by providing crucial enabling factors such as financing, liquidity support, reduced input costs, and regulatory facilitation to empower Pakistan’s export sector.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

Elon Musk has jokingly suggested the 'Department of Government Efficiency' to describe his role with the new Trump administration.

In addition to the skyrocketing prices of hotel rooms, inflated Uber rates and hysteria around her presence, Taylor Swift hugely affects the sports ecosystem around her. Whether or not skeptics want to admit it, her connection to sport creates a cultural impact that can not be denied.

The issue transcends Trump.

Highlights: GABA and L-theanine are popular supplements for stress relief L-theanine may help reduce stress, whi

GABA and L-theanine are often used to reduce stress. While promising, there's limited research on their combined use, making healthcare consultation essential.

An international team of scientists has now found that a genetic mutation may enable people to cut down their sugar intake.

Aided by festive demand, domestic passenger vehicle wholesales rose marginally year-on-year to 3,93,238 units in October, industry body SIAM said on Wednesday. The overall passenger vehicle dispatches by companies to dealers stood at 3,89,714 units in October last year. Total two-wheeler sales rose 14 per cent year-on-year to 21,64,276 units last month, as compared to 18,95,799 units in October 2023, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said in a statement.

Fr. Barnabas welcomes Dn. James Nicholas, Missionary Director at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center.

The cabinet has approved the "Job Creation and Career Building" loan programme worth a total of 15 billion baht, primarily aimed at supporting street vendors and hawkers to help reduce their informal debt.

DHL is opening the first Centre of Excellence for electric mobility on the European mainland in Pozzuolo Martesana (near Milan), Italy, to advance the new electric age.

Mixed reality gaming may be the motivation kids need to stay active, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

So-called "XYZ states" defy the standard picture of particle behavior and have given rise to several attempts to understand their nature.

World-first robotic hand to help cultivate baby corals for reef restoration  CSIRO