blog post Better Days for California’s Labor Market, but Will They Last? By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Nov 25, 2020 The California job market has recovered faster than the nation, with sectors hit hardest by the pandemic leading growth, but over a million workers remain un- and underemployed.
Report Will California Run Out of College Graduates? By Hans Johnson, Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Oct 12, 2015 California’s higher education system is a critical driver of the state’s economic progress. As the state’s economy continues to change, will its workforce be ready for the jobs of tomorrow? This report updates and extends projections of California’s workforce skills through 2030, focusing on the supply and demand for workers with a bachelor’s degree. We find that the state will fall about 1.1 million college graduates short of economic demand if current trends persist—a problem we call the workforce skills gap. Even the arrival of highly educated workers from elsewhere is unlikely to be large enough to fill this gap. Today’s college graduates have better economic outcomes than those who do not hold a bachelor’s degree. Over time, college graduates have seen lower rates of unemployment and higher wages than other workers—even through the Great Recession—suggesting that college degrees have become increasingly valuable in California’s labor market. The future workforce skills gap looms large. But California and its higher education institutions can take several practical steps to close it. The core of a new plan for higher education should include increasing access to the state’s four-year institutions, improving college completion rates, expanding transfer pathways from community colleges, and being smart about aid programs.
blog post California’s Dual Jobs Challenges By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Sep 23, 2021 An analysis of the latest jobs report for California shows how the state is faring on two key labor market challenges: increasing employment among the unemployed and bringing back those who left the labor force.
Fact Sheet The California Economy: Employment Update By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Apr 5, 2017
blog post California’s Recovery Backslides By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Jan 29, 2021 The number of jobs in California declined last month for the first time since April. Overall, jobs statewide are down 8% compared to a year ago, with face-to-face service sectors being the hardest hit.
blog post How Is California’s Labor Market Doing amid Inflation Pressures? By Jenny Duan, Sarah Bohn May 25, 2023 Falling inflation has coincided with a slowdown in employment growth in California, though overall the state’s labor market still appears solid.
blog post Six Months of Economic Crisis: What Is Next? By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Sep 24, 2020 California continues to confront the pandemic and its economic effects. What has this downturn meant for the state’s labor market? And what factors are likely to shape the recovery?
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?
blog post California’s Highly Educated Immigrants By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Hans Johnson Jan 30, 2023 Recent immigrants to California are among the most educated residents of the state. More than half of the working-age immigrants who arrived over the past ten years hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree.
