Want extra proof there’s a shortage of workers in Southern California? Or that bosses really are fighting to hire and keep the best workers?

I took a look at a new tally of regional job growth and pay patterns, which show a moderate pace of hiring but noteworthy increases in weekly wages paid in the region. This year started with average weekly wages growing at 6 percent-plus annual rates in the four-county area.

For example, look at Orange County’s mismatch in the growth of jobs and wages. It suggests local bosses are paying to compete for the limited number of job candidates.

Orange County’s average weekly wage for the first quarter was up $86 — or an eye-catching 7.5 percent — in a year to $1,228. Wages by this math rose only 0.2 percent last year. These early 2017 pay boosts come as Orange County bosses added 35,887 workers in a year to 1.6 million, an increase of 2.3 percent — down slightly from job growth of 2.7 percent for all of 2016.

Or look statewide, where the first quarter’s weekly wage rose $91 from 2016 — or 7.6 percent — to $1,295. Wages rose 2 percent last year. These new pay hikes came as California employers added 377,978 jobs in a year to 16.8 million, an increase of 2.3 percent vs. job growth of 2.6 percent in 2016.

This intriguing data doesn’t say every boss handed out fat raises to all staffers, rather the total salaries paid per worker jumped. That upswing could come from a combination of scenarios including the significant addition of pricey employees to proportionally fewer lower-paid jobs to, yes, large pay hikes.

Please note that other data show a thin supply of available workers to hire. Fewer Californian are losing their jobs, with statewide claims for unemployment benefits back at pre-recession lows. The broadest measure of unemployment shows 10.6 percent of Californians lack a job or sufficient full-time work. While that’s sad, it’s still the lowest in 10 years.

And nationally, two numbers stand out: A record high number of unfilled job openings and a 17-year low in the percentage of Americans who tell pollsters it’s hard to find work.

That’s what bosses face when expanding staff — or retaining workers — with 2017 starting with the 10-year-high of workers quitting jobs nationwide.

Just look at Southern California.

In Los Angeles County, average weekly wages were up $80 year-over-year — or 7 percent — to $1,216 for the first quarter. Wages rose 1.9 percent last year. LA bosses added 51,015 jobs in a year to 4.4 million, an increase of 1.2 percent. Last year jobs grew at a 2.3 percent pace.

Riverside County’s weekly wages rose $51 — or 6.2 percent — to $870 after dipping 0.1 percent last year. Countywide, 21,843 jobs were added in the first quarter to 706,000, an annualized increase of 3.2 percent. Last year jobs grew at a 4.7 percent pace.

San Bernardino County wages jumped $61 a week — or 7.4 percent — to $880 after growing 2.8 percent last year. Countywide, jobs grew by 23,771 in a year to 719,000, an increase of 3.4 percent. Last year jobs grew at a 2.4 percent pace.

These stats come from a federal compilation of 100-million-plus files of employers’ unemployment insurance data. While this report is roughly 6 months old, its depth can offer a better look at hiring patterns compared with the more-discussed and more-swiftly-compiled monthly employment data, which is drawn from surveys of a limited pool of workers and bosses.

Look, one can choose to take a most-dour view of these pay index increases: average wages are spiking primarily due to better salaries for a limited number of highly compensated employees. Remember, those people like buying big-ticket items, like vehicles or homes, and that extra spending is a boon to the local economy.

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