Companies Report Work Force Growth

An annual salary and benefit survey released Wednesday by the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce shows that one-third of the companies that responded have expanded their work forces.

Eight of the 24 local companies that responded to the survey reported some work force growth in the last year, with an average percentage of increase of 14.7%. Seven companies reduced their work force, for an average reduction of 9.0%.

“In a sluggish economy, it’s pretty good,” chamber President Steve Rubinstein said.

The survey reported on companies in Ventura County and Westlake Village, including Amgen, Procter & Gamble, Blue Cross of California and Jafra Cosmetics. The chamber sent surveys to 75 Ventura County companies employing more than 150 people and about one-third responded, Rubinstein said. The companies surveyed paid money to participate, but considerably less than the $250 it costs to buy a completed survey, he said.

This is the eighth year the chamber commissioned the survey, which was done by Christopher Martin & Associates in Westlake Village.

The survey also reported that 19 of the 24 companies have some type of car-pooling plan for their employees and that 17 companies ban smoking everywhere in their buildings.

All the companies surveyed provide some form of health insurance for their employees. A quarter of the companies surveyed pay their employees’ health club fees.