In rural areas, employers are less likely to be unionized. Throughout the state, most small, independent repair and production painting shops are not unionized. Most union painters in California are members of locals of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union or the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Workers. The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division. Employment for this group of painters is projected to grow about as fast the average for all occupations through 2005.
Most openings occur because experienced painters retire or leave the occupation.
During the next few years, smaller businesses will continue to close because they will not be able to afford the necessary equipment to comply with new governmental rules and regulations. Employers maintain, however, that skilled Automotive Painters are in demand and can expect relatively steady work. Inexperienced applicants will face keen competition unless they have appropriate training or a demonstrated aptitude for the job. Another factor which will affect the demand for qualified painters is the increasing number of lighter vehicles that are prone to greater damage in collisions. Most painters work in shops that specialize in automotive repairs or repair shops of automobile and truck dealers.