The Best Employers awards for both small and large companies were judged by a group of several businesses and organizations in Santa Clarita. Heading this effort was Marc Emmer, president of Optimize Inc. This process was separate from the Business Journal awards process. While national unemployment has spiked, Santa Clarita has only a 6.8% unemployment rate. The economic downturn has created an unusual spasm in workforce supply and demand. While some industries such as retail have experienced massive layoffs, sectors including nursing, accounting and specialized labor (such as welding) still report a shortage of qualified workers. The U.S. is about to experience the most extraordinary shift in demographics in history. A shocking 75 million Americans will be eligible to retire in 2011 (including 40 percent of management workers.) Void of any national retraining effort, the stage is set for a massive labor imbalance. Clearly, organizations positioned as best in class employers will have a competitive advantage over those who are not. The inaugural Best Employers to Work For in the Santa Clarita Valley competition chronicles how Santa Clarita’s premier employers have positioned themselves as employers of choice. The rate of employees entering the workforce under the age of 50 will decline over the next decade. The growth rate for employees over 65 is projected to be over 80 percent. These trends have extraordinary implications for employers. Older workers, whose pension plans and 401Ks have been pillaged, will have to work longer and will seek out untraditional roles as consultants and part-time workers. For the first time in history, there will be four generations in the work force and employers will have to hold on to older workers while fast tracking younger inexperienced employees. That makes it even more important for companies to make sure that they have the best working environment and internal policies that allow them to attract the best employees. That is one of the reasons the inaugural Best Employers to Work For in the Santa Clarita Valley competition took place with the winners being announced on May 13. The Finalists for Best Employers Boston Scientific Neuromodulation College of the Canyons Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital LBW Insurance & Financial Services Lundgren Management Six Flags Magic Mountain Solid Concepts UltraViolet Devices College of the Canyons and UltraViolet Devices emerged the winners.