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Fact Sheet

California’s County Jails

By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Andrew Skelton

The statewide jail population is significantly lower than it was before the pandemic. The population is largely male and being held for felonies.

Report

A Hiring Incentive that Works: The California Competes Tax Credit

By David Neumark, Matthew Freedman, Benjamin Hyman, Shantanu Khanna

Established in 2013, the California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) boosts firm employment and payroll growth within California by as much as 30 percent within three years. This growth benefits a wide range of workers and is greater in parts of the state with higher levels of poverty and unemployment.

Report

Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment

By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty

Over the past five years, enrollment has fallen in nearly three-quarters of California school districts, and the trend is expected to continue into the next decade. Faster declines could bring pressure to close schools, along with concerns about the students and neighborhoods bearing the costs of downsizing.

blog post

Many California Renters Remain Financially Stressed

By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee

Although fewer Californians are behind on rent payments than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, rents are increasing across the state and housing stress is hitting some regions and demographic groups especially hard.

Fact Sheet

College Access in California

By Iwunze Ugo

About three in five Californians enroll in college right after high school. But whether—and where—high school graduates attend college varies across regions and demographic groups.

Fact Sheet

Financing California’s Public Schools

By Julien Lafortune

K–12 funding has been at record-high levels in recent years, and California’s per student spending is now slightly above the national average. Spending is higher for low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. However, enrollment declines, rising costs, and the expiration of pandemic funding pose fiscal challenges for school districts.

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Stewarding California’s Wet Years

California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet conditions of the 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future? We speak with three panels of experts to find out.

Report

Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit

By Tess Thorman

State-designed and -funded tax credits for low-income families are a small but growing part of California’s anti-poverty portfolio. As policymakers explore ways to refine, increase, and supplement the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), they could benefit from knowing more about where and when the CalEITC and similar credits are claimed.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas

Key findings include: A record-high 71 percent of Californians believe that children growing up in the state today will be worse off financially than their parents. Three in ten workers fear losing their jobs to new technology like artificial intelligence. A majority say that California will have bad economic times in the next 12 months; about half approve of how Governor Newsom is handling jobs and the economy.

blog post

A Look at Demographic Differences in Poverty across Regions in California

By Patricia Malagon, Caroline Danielson

California's overall poverty rate rose between fall 2021 and early 2023, according to the most recent California Poverty Measure. We look at how poverty differs across the state and how it is linked to race, education, and other demographic factors.

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