Los Angeles County and Region has nearly 10 million residents-which represents 30 percent of California’s population: with 4,083 square miles, it is larger than 42 states, within its borders are 88 municipalities, ranging from Vernon-with a population of 191-to Los Angeles-with a population of 3.8 million. Los Angeles County currently has the highest population of any county in the nation.

The economy in Los Angeles County has fared better than other areas in the state that depend more on technology-related employment, Los Angeles County is top ranked in the United States for manufacturing, producing more than 10% of the nation’s aircraft, aircraft equipment, aluminum, dental equipment, games and toys, gas transmissions and distribution equipment, guided missiles, space vehicles and propulsion units, and women’s apparel. Los Angeles’ employment base includes tourism, the movie industry, government, aerospace, technology, manufacturing, shipping, and defense. Government is the single largest employer, and Kaiser Permanente and Boeing are the largest private employers.

Numerous jobs in manufacturing, banking, legal services, jewelry, toys and gifts and women’s apparel are in nearby downtown Los Angeles. The downtown area is also home to The Staples Center, Disney Concert Hall, and The Los Angeles Opera who each employ hourly wage, entry level and professional levels of individuals. The University of Southern California is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. Tourism and the movie industry dominate Hollywood, which is also less than five mile distance. Other restaurant and retail jobs line Olympic and Wilshire Boulevards and Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards.

International trade is a major component of the area’s economy. The “Los Angeles Customs District” (including the ports of Long Beach, Port Hueneme, and Los Angeles Airport) is the nation’s second largest, based on value on two-way trade. In 2001, this totaled $212.5 billion, compared with $214.1 billion of the first place New York. Major investments are being made in port and transportation facilities, including the $2.4 billion Alameda Corridor project which was completed on-time and on-budget in April 2002. There are also three foreign trade zone designations.

When you consider that LA’s economy is larger than most nations, you quickly realize how remarkable the area is. While most people rightly continue to think of LA as the entertainment capital of the world. LA County is also:

The Los Angeles region is home to one of the largest retail sales markets in the United States, and second largest for international trade. The region also has the largest concentration of retail stores in the nation per capita. 2719-2723 W. Sunset is nearby wholesale and retail districts downtown, the boutique shops on Beverly and 3rd Street and the redeveloped Farmer’s Market at the Grove. Nearby the property in the Koreatown area there are several new developments including the Aroma Center on Wilshire, a $40 million spa, and the Koreatown Galleria Shopping Center, a three story mall with sixty-five shops.

LA is the entrepreneurial capital of the world because business, capital, government and organizations, work together to produce a climate for growth. As a result LA has about 210,000 small businesses, which is nearly twice as many as any other region in the country. At the same time, LA is also the international headquarters for many large corporations such as ARCO, The Walt Disney Company, Hughes electronics, Hilton Hotels, Mattel, Occidental Petroleum, Blue Cross, Health Net and Litton Industries.

Educational Options Higher and specialized education is a strength of Los Angeles County, with 159 college and university campuses. These range from California Institute of Technology, the Claremont Colleges, Mount Saint Mary’s University, Loyola University, UCLA, and USC, to specialized institutions such as the California Institute for the Arts, the Art Center College of Design, Institute of Computer Technology, and the Otis Art Institute. Medical education is also a strong point with medical schools, dental schools, and eye institutes, as well as specialized research and treatment centers such as City of Hope.