Report Higher Education and Economic Opportunity in California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Nov 4, 2020 The pandemic and its economic impact have highlighted longstanding social inequities: low-income and less-educated workers are bearing the brunt of both the virus and the downturn. Now more than ever, policymakers and higher education leaders must find avenues for low income and underrepresented students to access the benefits of a college degree.
Report Policies for Creating and Keeping Jobs in California By David Neumark, Emma Wohl Dec 13, 2023 State efforts to spur job creation include 21 programs ranging from tax credits to worker training. Three policies offer strong evidence indicating they create jobs or increase employment in California. New programs—and programs with weak evidence—need to have built-in features that allow deeper evaluation.
Report Student Debt and the Value of a College Degree By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, David Ezekiel, Betsey Zeiger Jun 3, 2013 Student debt in California has increased dramatically in recent years, but college is still a good investment. Californians with college degrees are more likely to be employed than those with high school diplomas, and they earn higher wages. Policymakers can do a lot to help make higher education more affordable—for example, by developing tuition savings programs and improving pathways from community colleges to four-year schools. Providing additional funding is essential, but finding ways keep costs down should also be pursued. This research was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation.
California Economic Policy, Report Pay-or-Play Health Insurance Mandates: Lessons from California By Aaron S. Yelowitz Oct 18, 2006 In 2003, Sacramento enacted one of the first "pay or play" laws, mandating that employers either provide health insurance to California workers or pay a fee. Although the law was never implemented, the pay or play idea has since caught the attention of many other states’ legislatures. In this issue of CEP, the author examines the probable outcomes of California’s version of pay or play and concludes that it was seriously flawed: Employment and wages would have stagnated as employers passed on their increased costs, and many in the population would have remained uninsured.
blog post Bay Area Tops in Population Growth Rates By Hans Johnson Aug 5, 2014 For the first time since the 1860s, the Bay Area—long the slowest-growing urban region—is experiencing faster growth rates than any other region of the state.
Fact Sheet Career Technical Education in California By Sarah Bohn, Niu Gao, Shannon McConville Jun 6, 2018
blog post Gas Prices Stretch Family Budgets By Sarah Bohn, Daniel Payares-Montoya Mar 16, 2022 California has recently seen its highest average gas price on record. Combined with higher prices in other key budget areas, rising gas prices pose a challenge for households around the state, especially those with lower incomes.
blog post Californians Agree It’s Important for Workers to Organize By Deja Thomas Nov 18, 2021 While most employed Californians are not offered membership in a union or similar group, an overwhelming majority of residents believe it is important for workers to organize.
blog post The Employment Value of Higher Education By Sarah Bohn Jul 22, 2016 Higher education is a key determinant of how people fare when the economy slows.
