California’s economy has been hit hard by COVID-19. Between February and May 2020, the state lost more than 3 million jobs, largely erasing gains from a decade of continuous growth. The economic consequences have been severe but also unevenly distributed, exacerbating economic inequality.

This publication is part of a briefing kit that focuses on California’s most pressing long-term policy challenges in five key areas:

• criminal justice
• economy
• education
• safety net
• water and a changing climate