Orange County’s biggest companies remain on a recruiting push.
Employment surged 3% to 203,536 workers this year, among the 29 companies with more than 3,000 local workers in this week’s Business Journal list of largest employers.
Two companies on the list achieved double-digit growth: Santa Ana-based Allied Universal and CHOC Children’s in Orange.
Costa Mesa-based Automobile Club of Southern California trailed closely behind with an 8.6% increase. It employs about 3,800 people in OC.
The Business Journal findings indicate that large companies are growing faster than the region’s contingent of small and midsized companies; employment has grown 1.3% countywide since last year, according to the Employment Development Department, with jobs in professional and business services leading the way.
Twelve firms on the list reported growth, while three reported declines. Two companies held steady, while the remainder are Business Journal estimates based on city records and other employment data.
The list includes two universities, two theme park operators, and eight healthcare providers. A dozen of the employers on the list are based in OC.
Attractions Abound
Orange County’s largest employer continues to expand.
Disneyland once again topped the list, reporting a 6.7% increase in its workforce to 32,000 employees.
The Anaheim-based company created 6,700 temporary construction jobs and 1,600 new operation jobs dedicated to its new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area, according to Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) data.
A recent study placed the powerhouse’s economic impact at $5.8 billion last year, a 50% increase since 2013. The study was conducted by the Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting within California State University-Fullerton’s Mihaylo College of Business and Economics.
Growth is likely to continue next year, as Disney unveils its Rise of the Resistance attraction at Star Wars land and the Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park.
Security First
Santa Ana-based Allied Universal ranked No. 23, with a 35.2% surge in security-related hiring that brought its local employee count to 3,650.
The company—the largest private security company in the country—now employs 215,000 workers in North America and has revenues north of $7 billion.
The security firm acquired a series of smaller businesses this year, including Advent Systems Inc., Shelter Security Services and Cypress Private Security LP.
Last year, Chief Executive Steve Jones told the Business Journal to expect an IPO in the coming years; a Business Journal estimate places the company’s public value around $7 billion.
Highs & Lows
• Orange County’s biggest publicly traded company, Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (NYSE: EW), added approximately 350 employees and climbed 7.4%. That places the company at nearly 5,000 employees, with major growth coming from its clinical affairs division, according to company officials.
• OC’s top hospitals reported significant growth. Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian climbed 6.6% to 6,500 workers and CHOC Children’s grew to 3,938 employees, increasing employment by 10%.
• Fellow grocers Albertsons Cos. and Ralphs and Food 4 Less, both divisions of Kroger Co., decreased workers to 7,535 and 3,462, respectively.
