Just thought I'd add a link to this article on this thread. It is info about Ridgecrest doing better than the rest of the state for jobs right now.
Last month Ridgecrest unemployment was 8.4%, lower than California's 11.6% for June.
Navy weapons unit produces a high-desert boomtown
"The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake plans to add 1,000 civilian jobs by 2011, spurring construction projects in nearby Ridgecrest that are drawing workers from across the West."
Navy weapons unit produces a high-desert boomtown - Los Angeles Times