Coachella Valley Businesses Say Layoffs Are Behind Them

Despite the economic uncertainty in the Coachella Valley as 2010 comes to a close, a survey indicates businesses are ready to make new hires in the year ahead.

More than 90 percent of business owners contacted — some 1,600 businesses in all nine desert cities — during the four-month Coachella Valley Business Visitation Survey said they do not expect to lay off any employees in 2011, and 60 percent said they are more likely to add hires.

“With the unemployment rate in Riverside County above 14 percent, the trends illustrated by the survey are extremely welcome news,” said Thomas Flavin, president and CEO of CVEP. “Employment stabilization — and indeed, a potential uptick in hiring next year — is a clear sign that the Coachella Valley is rising to meet the challenges posed by the current economy.”

Key to the anticipated new hiring is the occupational classification sought by potential employers: Nearly half the respondents said they will be hiring a skilled-level employee, while 18.5 percent will be in need of professional/management-level employees.

These two occupational classifications also are the most challenging to recruit in the Coachella Valley: more than 62 percent of the respondents stated that they have difficulty recruiting skilled-level workers, while more than 30 percent claim difficulty in finding professional/management-level employees.

Survey respondents also identified the top three advantages of doing business in the Coachella Valley, in descending order: quality of life, “Desert” reputation and area growth potential.

To view the entire survey, visit their website. For more information about CVEP, call (760) 340-1575.