EMPLOYMENT BRIEFS

* World Trade: Even as nations such as Japan and the United States continue to slug it out over trade barriers and policies, jobs related to trade and foreign investment are becoming a bigger factor in California’s economic picture. The California World Trade Commission notes that already one in 12 jobs in the state is tied directly to trade. And from 1976 to 1988, overseas investment in manufacturing plants and offices in California resulted in the creation of nearly 325,000 jobs, according to the state Department of Commerce. The jobs range from dockworkers who unload cargo containers from Asia to consultants who handle joint-venture negotiations between Asian and U.S. companies. The ability to speak a foreign language will help some workers surge to the front of the pack, and there are tremendous opportunities for those who are willing to live abroad.