Study: Employers Not Ready for Quake

Employers in Redondo Beach need to do a better job preparing for a large-scale earthquake, according to a study released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault near Los Angeles could kill thousands and cause an estimated $213 billion loss when accounting for direct and indirect impacts, according to the report.

An estimated 73 percent of Los Angeles County businesses—287,040 total—are located in "destructive shaking zones" and would be affected by a strong earthquake. About 74 percent of the people employed in Los Angeles County—about 2,614,700 people total—have jobs in a destructive shaking zone, according to data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"As Angelenos, we have all seen the damage that comes with an earthquake," Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Gary Toebben said. "It's impossible for us to know for sure … but it is possible for us to prepare. We should make sure that procedures are in place to respond."

In Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, an estimated 522,000 health care jobs, 504,000 retail jobs, 480,000 manufacturing jobs and 409,000 educational services jobs would be affected by a earthquake, according to the report.

Seventy-two percent of health care employees work in the shaking zones expected to experience the most damage, and a recent report found structural weaknesses in many California hospitals, the study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Functioning hospitals are critical after a disaster.

City News Service reported that the potential economic consequences from a major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault would have a domino effect on the state and national economy.

"The more our businesses can do [to prepare] will enable them to reopen quickly after the next big earthquake occurs," said Lucy Jones, a chief scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey. "We can't prevent an earthquake, but we can prevent it from turning into a catastrophe."

City News Service contributed to this report.