Downsizing is expected to continue at about the same rate this year. That's not a bad sign when you have a healthy rate of expansion. And the one-year outlook shows that those expanding will outnumber downsizers 2.5 to 1. Costs are still an issue and, while deregulation of the market for workers' compensation insurance has resulted in substantial savings for employers, the remaining targets for reform and improvement identified in the Ueberroth Council's 1992 Report on California competitiveness have not been addressed. The survey also showed that opportunities to reduce relocation are being missed by local officials.
International business is an increasingly important part of Orange County's economy.
They plan to expand in existing markets and enter new markets. Although manufacturing is the leading sector in international business, services are expected to show the most growth in foreign markets in the next five years. These will remain the biggest international markets through 2001. For businesses that have foreign operations, the biggest difficulties are communication between home and foreign offices and foreign government regulations. These are the same difficulties that topped the list a year ago.