June 24--The Orange County economy is in for a boost this year.
That's the thrust of a report released Wednesday from the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University, which forecasts that job growth in 2015 will outpace both the nation and California.
The state's third most-populous county should add nearly 47,000 jobs in 2015, an increase of 3.1% from 2014.
That rate is an acceleration from a 2.5% growth rate last year and comes from strong, expected gains in hospitality, business services, health care and construction.
Several factors are driving growth, said Esmael Adibi, director of the school's Anderson Center.
Low levels of homes for sale will boost housing construction, and Obamacare is leading to more insured residents and, in turn, more healthcare jobs, he said.
Meanwhile, an improving national economy should drive growth across a wide swath of industries, providing opportunities for people with varying skills and education, Adibi said.
"We sell lots of goods and services to the rest of the country," Adibi said. "If the national economy is better, we are going to get more tourists at Disneyland."
The forecast expects jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector to increase by 6,389 this year, while the construction industry will add 3,587 jobs. Professional and business services will add 11,773 workers, and the education and healthcare sector will grow by 8,963 jobs.
The report forecasts the county will add nearly 41,000 jobs in 2016, for a slower growth rate of 2.6%
