Employment
In 2005, the Bakersfield metro’s workforce was comprised of approximately 320,000-330,000 people. The rate of unemployment dropped measurably between January and November, from 10.4 percent to 8 percent.
The city’s largest employing sector is educational, health and social services, which accounts for about 24 percent of all jobs. Retail trade and professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services are also strong; together these two sectors support about 20,000 positions. Surprisingly, the agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining industry is only the fourth largest employing sector, providing about 8,000 jobs. Most of Bakersfield’s workforce, 32 percent, is employed in a management or professional capacity. Sales, office and service positions are also popular, accounting for about 43.8 percent of the workforce combined. In 1999, the median annual household income was $39,982.
More than 75 percent of the city’s workers commute to a place of employment alone, while about 16 percent carpool. The remainder either works at home or uses some other means, like public transportation, to get to work. The mean travel time is about 22 minutes.