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The diversity of the Southern California economy shows up in diversity of occupation as well. The state Employment Development Department tracks 357 industries and some 2,000 different occupations ranging from Able Seamen to Yeast Pushers. What follows are brief looks at the employment outlook for other job areas that are key to the Southland’s economy. GOVERNMENT

The more than 150 cities and hundreds of special-purpose districts and local schools dotting the Southland will continue as major employers, but the passage of Proposition 13 eight years ago put a brake on proliferation of government jobs.

A survey by the Southern California Assn. of Governments (SCAG) found government providing 15% of all jobs in 1972 compared to 12% in 1984.

“There’s growth in the government sector, but its share in the total jobs has gone down,” said Gordon Palmer, SCAG’s manager of economic analysis and development. The number of jobs is expected to grow 15% by 2000, a 1% annual rate of increase.

Local government agencies are in the market for computer-literate workers with administrative skills, while anticipated continuing population growth will create additional jobs in such traditional government areas as public safety.

The 12.8 million people who inhabit SCAG’s six-county area--Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino counties--are expected to number 16.4 million by the year 2000, 18.3 million by 2010, the survey found.

“We’re talking about a very substantial growth in population here,” said Palmer.

According to the state Employment Development Department, there were 1,794,500 government workers in California last year; of these, 230,000 worked for the 58 counties, 198,000 for cities, 603,500 for local school districts and 94,500 for special districts.