Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Alyssa Dykman Dec 9, 2020 Key findings from the current survey include six in ten Californians think that when today’s children grow up, they will be worse off financially than their parents. About seven in ten Californians are still either very or somewhat worried that someone in their family will get sick from coronavirus, while two in three worry that the pandemic will hurt their finances. In the past year, 43 percent of households with incomes under $40,000 had someone with reduced work hours or pay. A majority of Democrats and most Republicans support increased public funding for job training so that more workers have the skills needed for today’s jobs.
Report Child Poverty and the Social Safety Net in California By Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn Sep 29, 2014 Because economic hardship is associated with a host of adverse outcomes, particularly for children, policies that can give children a better start in life are especially important. This report focuses on measuring material hardship among children across the state. Using the California Poverty Measure—which accounts for both family earnings and safety net resources and adjusts for work expenses and housing costs—we find that one-quarter of California’s children are in poverty. An additional 26 percent of children live in households that are "near poor,” or somewhat above what is often referred to as the poverty line. In short, about half of California’s children are poor or near-poor. Poverty rates, earnings, and the role of safety net resources all vary by region. But most poor children live in "working poor” families, with one or more working adults. And, without resources from the social safety net—which includes the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, CalFresh (California’s food stamp program), CalWORKs (California’s welfare program), and housing subsidies—there would be far more children in poverty throughout California.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Nov 9, 2022 Amid rising prices and economic uncertainty, more than two in three Californians are pessimistic about how the state’s economy will do over the next year. An overwhelming majority of employed Californians are at least somewhat satisfied with their jobs, but satisfaction declines among lower-income residents.
blog post Looking Ahead to California’s 2021 Labor Market By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Jan 22, 2021 With a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent months, employment in California has taken a hit. Given the continued challenges posed by the pandemic, what can we expect from the state’s labor market this year?
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Labor Force Participation in California By Julien Lafortune, Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Jenny Duan ... Feb 14, 2024 California’s labor force participation is shrinking, mainly because of an aging population. But significant gaps across demographic groups are also a concern. How can California remove barriers to work, boost participation, and build a strong workforce for years to come?
event Health Conditions and Health Care among California’s Undocumented Immigrants Nov 2, 2023 Insights into the health care needs of undocumented patients can help the state prepare for the expansion of Medi-Cal to all low-income Californians. PPIC researcher Shalini Mustala will present a new report on the health of undocumented patients and the services they tend to use; report lead author Paulette Cha will moderate a panel discussion about the series of Medi-Cal expansions and other safety net investments that benefit undocumented residents.
blog post Mixed Signals in California’s Labor Market Recovery By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Oct 28, 2021 California’s jobs recovery slowed substantially in September. At the same time, historically high levels of turnover—sometimes called the “Great Resignation”—along with high levels of job openings and wage growth complicate the picture of the state’s economic recovery.
blog post Essential Workers and COVID-19 By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Mar 31, 2020 Many essential workers in health care, transportation, and other sectors are not well equipped to weather the economic challenges of the COVID-19 crisis.
