During tough economy, California's largest cities shed 10,000 jobs
By Phillip Reese
preese@sacbee.comThe Sacramento Bee
Published: Monday, Jul. 23, 2012 - 3:05 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 24, 2012 - 11:46 am

Cities across the state just entered their fifth consecutive fiscal year of tight budgets, layoffs and service rollbacks, with no end clearly in sight.

Already since the recession began, California's 20 largest cities have reduced their full-time workforce by 10,000, or roughly 8 percent, according to a Bee review of the cities' comprehensive annual financial reports.

The deepest staffing cuts came in the city of Chula Vista, a city of 245,000 near San Diego that reduced its workforce by more than one third. The San Bernardino County city of Fontana cut its workforce by 30 percent.

Sacramento is near the top, too, reducing its staff by 850, or 16 percent, from 2007 to 2011. Sacramento's police and parks departments endured the biggest cuts.

These charts break down the change in full-time equivalent staff (FTEs) in each of California's 20 largest cities from 2007 to 2011.



Change in municipal employees, 2007-2011

Source: City comprehensive annual financial reports

Notes: Data for city of Long Beach was unavailable. Data for city of Stockton based on city budgets. Data for city of San Bernardino shows employment change from 2007 to 2010.

During tough economy, California's largest cities shed 10,000 jobs - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee