Donate
PPIC Logo Independent, objective, nonpartisan research

Search Results

Filters Sort by:
blog post

Why Have US and California Jobs Numbers Diverged?

By Sarah Bohn, Jenny Duan, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

Though unemployment statewide remains low by historical standards, California's recent job growth has been notably slower than growth in the nation as whole. A look at the state's major employment sectors helps explain why.

blog post

A Regional Look at California’s Latest Employment Trends

By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Jenny Duan, Julien Lafortune

While employment is higher than it was before the pandemic, California’s economy could face headwinds in the coming months. We look at how seven major regions are faring and discuss the factors driving job growth in different parts of the state.

Report

Making the Most of Transit: Density, Employment Growth, and Ridership around New Stations

By Jed Kolko

This study assesses job growth around new transit stations across California. It finds that, on average, no such growth occurred and points to the need for active and coordinated planning, to maximize transit investments and increase ridership.

This research was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as part of the California 2025 project on the state's future, and the David A. Coulter Family Foundation.

blog post

Each California Region Tells a Different Job Story

By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Sarah Bohn

While California's job market held steady in March, the state's job picture is weaker than that of the nation as a whole. Annual job growth varies across different parts of the state, with major metro areas inland generally outpacing those on the coast.

blog post

Regional Trends in Unemployment

By Sarah Bohn, Jenny Duan

While California’s unemployment rate has ticked up over the past year, in some regions unemployment is lower than it was before the pandemic.

Policy Brief

Policy Brief: Policies for Creating and Keeping Jobs in California

By David Neumark, Emma Wohl, Stephanie Barton

California offers 21 programs intended to add jobs or grow employment. Which policies work and how well? Three programs show strong evidence for creating jobs or increasing employment; others show mixed evidence or are too new to be evaluated. The state should consider expanding effective programs and build features to better evaluate the others.

blog post

California Is Inching toward a Jobs Recovery

By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune

Job growth and wage gains, especially in the leisure and hospitality sector, show that some hard-hit California workers are benefiting from the current recovery.

Report

How Can California Spur Job Creation?

By David Neumark

California has both short- and long-term unemployment problems. This report examines the effectiveness of two direct job creation policies: hiring credits – subsidies to employers to hire workers – and worker subsidies – subsidies to individuals to enter the labor market. In the short-term, a well-designed hiring credits program is a more effective response to downturns in the business cycle. In the long term, worker subsidies are a better way to address the state’s chronic unemployment problems.

This report was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation.

Search results are limited to 100 items. Please use the Refine Results tool if you are not finding what you are looking for.