Economist Dr. Nyakundi Michieka discusses labor market trends in Kern County including companies that are hiring, occupations with the highest current demand, and skills employers are seeking from job candidates when he joins SBDC director Kelly Bearden on this week’s free webinar.
Dr. Michieka is a professor of economics and director of the Center for Economic Education and Research at CSU Bakersfield.
This marks the 383rd episode of the “Webinar Wednesday” business series that provides news and information helpful to employers and business owners.
The CSU Bakersfield SBDC provides free one-on-one help to small business owners. New and existing businesses can go to https://csubsbdc.com/ for more information or to sign up to meet with a business advisor at no cost.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
02:49 Capital Corridor
– Hiring Incentives & Workforce Programs
– Workforce stability affects loan approval: lenders review payroll, turnover & hiring trends
– On the Job Training (OJT) through Employer’s Training Resource (ETR): reimburses 50–90% of wages during training https://www.employerstrainingresource.com/
– OJT reimbursements can be leveraged as capital toward a business loan down payment
– Employment Training Panel (ETP): reimburses approved workforce training; funded by payroll taxes you already pay
– ETP covers manufacturing, safety, technology & leadership training
11:44 Economic Corner
– Labor Market Trends & Small Business
– Will hiring get harder or easier? Cost more? Which industries are growing or shrinking?
12:28 CSUB SBDC YouTube: 548 subscribers | 348 videos on demand https://www.youtube.com/@csubsbdc
15:09 Guest Introduction – Dr. Nyakundi Michieka https://www.csub.edu/bpa/faculty-webpages/dr-nyakundi-michieka.shtm
16:25 Labor Market Overview & Methodology
– ~45,000 total job seekers in May 2026: 6,000 graduates + 38,000 unemployed residents
– 82% of Bakersfield residents stay in the region
— ranked ~25th of 108 metro areas nationally
– Study compared March 2026 job postings vs. last 15 years using data scraped from major job sites
22:38 March 2026 Job Market Snapshot
– 6,114 unique postings; ~1,500 companies hiring; median salary ~$75,000
– Average posting lasted 12 days
— down from 21 historically; jobs are filling faster than ever
24:55 Who’s Hiring in Kern County?
– March 2026: Adventist Health, KCCD, PG&E, UC Davis, Starbucks, Walmart, Dollar General
– 15-year leaders: CommonSpirit Health, Adventist Health, KCCD, Randstad, AppleOne, Robert Half, Aerotech
27:16 Most In-Demand Occupations
– Consistently high: registered nurses, truck drivers, retail salespersons
– Newly emerging: physical therapists, speech-language pathologists
– Declining: customer service reps, administrative assistants
28:40 Skills Employers Are Seeking
– Top skills: nursing, lifting ability, auditing, treatment planning, medical records, CPR
– Software: Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint — consistent over 15 years
– Emerging: dashboard building, Slack, Zoom, Microsoft 365
– Declining: Microsoft Access, legacy operating systems
36:10 15-Year Labor Market Summary
– Posting duration dropped from 21 days to ~12; total postings increased significantly
– RN and truck driver positions most consistently advertised
– Healthcare and data skills growing; Microsoft Office skills remain constant
37:10 Industry Spotlight
– Ag, Oil & Healthcare
– Ag: employment up ~13,000 over 15 years; workforce share steady at ~17%
– Oil & gas: employment declining; wages remain ~$40,000 above county average
– Healthcare: employment up 23,000; workforce share grew from 9% to 13% — fastest-growing sector
– Healthcare is now an emerging economic driver alongside ag and oil
42:25 Wages by Industry
– Utilities: highest paid | Oil & gas: ~$40,000 above county median | Healthcare assistants: ~$50,000/yr
43:35 Takeaways for Small Business Owners
– Position around healthcare growth: supplies, staffing & support services
– Partner with local colleges to tap into Kern County’s strong workforce retention
– Offer competitive benefits: work-life balance, insurance, retirement & paid leave matter as much as pay
– Traditional industries (ag, oil) still drive the economy; healthcare is the emerging opportunity
46:12 CSUB Economic Research & Current Economic Journal
– New report: oil & gas industry contribution to Kern County’s economy
– Ongoing: economic resilience & workforce development studies
– Subscribe to the Current Economic Journal at https://www.csub.edu/bpa/economics/kern-economic-journal.shtml
47:56 Q&A
– AI data centers in East Kern: discussions underway; high water & energy demands noted
– How should labor data inform college curriculum? Align programs with local employer posting trends
– Healthcare workforce growth: continued data collection & cross-sector collaboration needed