BERKELEY — The California Marine Ecology Center in Oakland reported Tuesday that the number of marine biologists employed in the state increased 29 percent from the same time last year.
The center’s executive director, Paul J. Loomis, attributed the increase in jobs to several factors.
For example, the number and quality of applications received increased and the number in the pipeline of hiring positions remained constant, LoomIS said in a statement.
“We’ve been working hard to improve our recruitment process for more than a year and a half and have had a very successful recruitment season,” Loomiscks chief executive officer, Scott S. Schafer, said in the statement.
“The Marine Science Academy, with its high level of academic and technical standards, has been a significant contributor to our recruitment efforts, especially during the summer months when our programs are at their peak.”
Last year, the center posted a total of 626 positions, up from 593 jobs in 2015.
The jobs increase comes as California’s job market has been improving.
The state added nearly 10,000 jobs in August and is projected to add about 6,000 in September, according to the state’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job growth in the Bay Area, though, has stalled and job growth has been slower than elsewhere in the country.
In the first quarter of 2017, California posted a 6.2 percent jobless rate.
The economy has grown in recent years, but job growth in California has been slowing, as is the nation.
