Calif. tech companies providing job boost

Holiday sales are one measure of the economy -- job creation is another. And in one very large state hard hit by the recession, employment prospects are beginning to brighten. CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker has a few cases in point.

Brittany Dameron, 25, unemployed, with two degrees in advertising, diligently looked for work for a year.

"I was applying to a lot of agencies, changing my resume, really working on my cover letters, and I still wasn't getting the gig," she said.

But her fortunes changed in October when she walked through the doors and was offered a job at Digitaria, a high-tech, digital marketing agency that helps business take advantage of the digital revolution.

"We do everything from websites, iPad applications, mobile applications," explained Daniel Khabie, CEO of Digitaria. He said revenue is up 60 percent this year.

"We've hired 50 employees and we're looking to hire at least a minimum of another 20-plus employees going into the next year," said Khabie. "I wouldn't be surprised if we hire another 50, to be honest with you."

Companies like Digitaria are turning California's economy around. The country's largest state created more jobs than any other, adding 233,000 workers to the payrolls in the past year -- 6,500 in just the last month. The hot spots: high-tech centers where jobs are up in Silicon Valley, San Diego, San Francisco and Orange County.

Despite the growth, California still has the second highest unemployment rate in the country -- 11.3 percent. It's tied to manufacturing and construction, sectors hit hardest in the Great Recession.

Now digital-age companies could be key to California's recovery. Oliver Duncan found he was in high demand in high-tech. He left a job in New York and is now creative director at Digitaria.

"I had over four solid letter offers and I had a bunch of 'Hey, I'm really interested, let's take the next step,'" he said.

"We cannot find enough people and we're looking, looking constantly for more people," said Khabei.

Dameron: "It's a great feeling to not be asked that question anymore, 'How's the job search going?', and to just be able to say, 'I have a job.'"

It's been a long time since there's been economic news to smile about in California.This is the third month in a row the state has lead the nation in job growth.

[democracy8]

I believe they meant to say the most populous state.

[involved_indi]

"The country's largest state created more jobs than any other" better check your facts before you print an article CBS. Neither of these so called "facts" are true.

[cedarmix]

California is the country's largest state?

[sjc_1]

population

[quotelawrence]

and of course this is correct, but remember our leader is not into Jobs for Americans, so mark my words, there will be a dismal turn as China (Obama's friend) will gobble up any new industry, and Obama will possibly push for a China bail out plan, and we will have to take care of more illegals being imported by industry, yet given entitlements scheduled for those whom have paid in,

[guest173]

I disagree with these comments, and I am a registered Republican. I actually like Obama a lot, Bush and the Republicans tanked a good budget. I like some republican morals but they are historically terrible with budgets.

[MekhongKurt]

@quotelawrence, yours in among the most uninformed comments I've ever read.

Who opened up China? -- Why, LAWDY ME! President RICHARD M. NIXON -- a REPUBLICAN!!! And who continued his China policy? -- drat it all -- the Republican PRESIDENT GERALD FORD.

Who ended the proxy war in Vietnam against the Soviet Union, and, by extension, China? -- GREAT BALLS OF FIRE! *NIXON* AGAIN!

Who was one, among many others, to strongly encourage trade with China during the 1980's, right after Deng Xia Ping declared the Open Door Policy for his country? -- Geez, @ql, it just keeps getting worse, doesn't it??? -- That dadgummed pinko PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN -- you know, the GOP icon???

Let's see, who else? Oh, yeah, President George H. W. Bush and his son, President George W. Bush. Both Republicans, just in case you forgot.

We've had FIVE Republican Presidents since 1972 who collectively held the post 28 years. We've also had three Democrat Presidents -- President Carter, President Clinton, and now President Obama -- for a total, to date, of 15 years in the same period.

Incidentally, I've lived in China several years in the past, was married to a native of Beijing, have been a China-watcher since the late 1960's and written about it, so while I'm not an expert about it nor its relations with us, I'm willing to wager there's some possibility I might known a wee bit more than you do about the country and our bilateral relationship with it.

NO President controls the offshoring of jobs -- the PRIVATE sector does. It's the Apple's, IBM's, automakers, etc. who want to send jobs abroad -- to make more money. A Chinese working in a factory with a total package worth maybe $1,500 per month can live as well or better than his American counterpart making an appropriate American salary -- which is severalfold more than the Chinese worker's. Since publicly-listed companies in America are bound by LAW to make the most money possible for their stockholders, of COURSE they offshore. They aren't the Salvation Army.

But I bet a million to one that were President Obama to lead a charge to make it prohibitively expensive for American companies to offshore jobs, such as by no longer allowing them to keep foreign earnings offshore to avoid U.S. taxes and to start taxing their foreign-made imports at punitive import tax rates, you'd be right at the head of the crowd howling "COMMIE!"

Historically, the Democrats have been far more inclined to protect American jobs than free-market-loving Republicans have been. When did the first significant offshoring begin? -- during the Nixon years, that's when. Remember when Japan, Inc. began running circles around American automakers in Detroit? I live abroad and haven't owned a car at all for nearly 20 years, but before then, the ONLY new car I ever owned was a 1975 Honda Civic -- because I got it for a flat $3,000, not the minimum price I could find on an American car of about double that; I simply couldn't afford that much back then. And I WANTED to buy American, yet HAD to have a car to get to work after my old one died.

Democrats have supported trade wkth China in various ways, too. That's true. But to blame it all on President Obama is a flat-out lie.

And I'm calling you on it.