How Do Jobs Look for the Southland?

After having been in Cypress, Calif., for nearly a half century, Yamaha Motor Co. announced in March that it’s moving its U.S. headquarters over to Kennesaw, Ga., starting later this year. Yamaha had been in Cypress’ business park since 1979.

The move impacts about 250 employees, mainly in corporate and financial services.

The Japan-based manufacturer of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), boat engines, personal watercraft, and other motorized products had already moved its marine business to Kennesaw in 1999, and its motorsports business in 2019.

These corporate announcements can send jolts of fear and concern to government officials, financial markets, and local residents; and to local businesses who serve these workplace communities. Several major companies have announced they’ll be leaving California in recent years, which have coincided with reports of homeowners in the state and region moving to other states, and sometimes other countries, to reduce their housing and other living expenses.

States are giving incentives to companies to leave California and move there, and that’s been going on for several years. Toyota moved its headquarters to the Dallas area starting a decade ago. Nissan moved its HQ to Franklin, Tenn., near its assembly plant, starting in 2006. Honda has been quietly moving a lot of its staff over from its Torrance, Calif., main office over to its facilities in Ohio, in recent years.

Then there was Boeing closing down its C-17 factory facility in Long Beach from 2015 to the following year. The final cargo aircraft was delivered to the Qatar Emiri Air Force in 2016. A few of Boeing’s supplier companies laid off workers in Long Beach and moved away, or just closed up shop for good. That aerospace hub stayed nearly empty for a few years.

Who’s Moving In?

But then there's good news about advanced tech companies coming to Long Beach. Aerospace company Voyager Technologies will be moving into a 140,000 square foot location in Space Beach. Aerospace and defense contractor Anduril Industries is making a $1 billion investment to build a new 1.18 million-square-foot campus spanning Long Beach and Lakewood. 

Voyager is actively collaborating with Anduril Industries, and another Space Beach company, True Anomaly, to meet customers’ rapidly growing needs. The new facility will support the development and production of technologies spanning advanced electronics and mission hardware, AI-enabled software and embedded systems, and other applications. Up to 200 new jobs are expected to come to Voyager.

True Anomaly is a private aerospace and defense technology company based in Colorado that develops space-focused AI and software-integrated spacecraft systems.

In late January, Gov. Gavin Newsom congratulated Anduril Industries for its announcement that it would be investing $1 billion to build a new 1.18 million-square-foot campus that would be based in Long Beach and would carry over to Lakewood, expanding the company’s goal to support long-term growth in the state.

While maintaining its current headquarters in Costa Mesa, Anduril’s new facility in Space Beach will support bringing approximately 5,500 new jobs on site, with thousands more supported indirectly through construction, security, and supporting services. The company develops advanced defense technologies, including drones, missiles, robotic submarines, and autonomous fighter jets.

Over in Buena Park, Yamaha Corp. won’t be leaving its facility behind. In fact, it completely remodeled it last year. It’s where Yamaha manufactures its well-known musical instruments, professional audio gear, and home audio equipment. About 400 people work there.

In April 2025, the company unveiled a new transformed corporate campus in Buena Park that was designed in collaboration with renowned architecture firm Gensler. Yamaha says that the new campus brings sustainability, creativity, and musical inspiration to the forefront, bringing a state-of-the-art space to the city that resonates with creativity and collaboration.

Jobs in LA County

A Brookings Institute study from December on what’s happening with the workforce in Los Angeles County warned that prospects for young workers in this area need to improve. Nearly 125,000 young people ages 16 to 24 were disconnected from school and work in 2023 – 11% of that age group. They’re facing increased chances of unemployment and low-wage work. Systems supporting the transition from school to a good job are a necessity for many young residents.

Zero-emission transportation and water quality and availability are two areas with opportunities for job creation in this county, according to the Brookings Institute report. They’re supported by investments from federal, state, and local funds and their policy goals; and by partnerships with companies in these sectors.

These public/private partnerships are very good at recruitment, training, and job placement for employers in these sectors. There’s enough funding left, even with the Trump administration having cut some of the federal funds, that they’ll likely continue generating activities and projects that require skilled workers, the study says.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.