blog post California’s Medi-Cal Expansion Is Lowering Poverty among Undocumented Immigrants By Patricia Malagon Apr 18, 2024 At the beginning of this year, California broadened Medi-Cal eligibility to include all undocumented immigrants regardless of age. We examine how the state-funded expansion of coverage could reduce poverty among non-citizens and their families.
Fact Sheet Income Inequality in California By Tess Thorman, Daniel Payares-Montoya Apr 17, 2024 California’s income gap narrowed in 2022, but the disparity between high and low incomes is wider in California than in most other states. Over the longer term, income inequality has been driven by earnings growth among college-educated workers.
blog post Are California’s Foster Youth Claiming the State’s New Tax Credit? By Caroline Danielson Apr 9, 2024 Last year, California implemented the Foster Youth Tax Credit in an effort to alleviate poverty among young adults with a connection to the foster care system. We examine how this credit is working so far.
blog post Are Eligible Undocumented Immigrants Claiming the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit? By Tess Thorman Apr 4, 2024 Low-income Californians who file their tax returns with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)—primarily undocumented immigrants—are eligible for the California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Young Child Tax Credit. We examine trends in ITIN filers' claiming of these credits and discuss ways to improve uptake.
blog post As Internet Usage Grows, Californians Are Concerned about Online Security By Joseph Hayes Apr 3, 2024 With a record-high share of Californians using the internet at home, online privacy and security are key issues. Identity theft and credit card or banking fraud are the top concerns among the state's residents.
Fact Sheet California’s Digital Divide By Joseph Hayes, Eric Assan, Niu Gao Apr 1, 2024 Digital access is at an all-time high in California—and major investments by state and federal governments have helped narrow the digital divide. But racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities persist.
blog post An Update on Homelessness in California By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez Mar 21, 2024 California's homeless population may have increased as much as 7.5% between 2022 and 2023. We look at what the latest data say about people experiencing homelessness in our state, including the wide variation across regions.
blog post Learning Recovery for Homeless Students Lags behind Other High-Need Groups By Brett Guinan, Julien Lafortune Mar 13, 2024 In the last in a series on K–12 students who have experienced homelessness, we look at how these youth are faring academically. While learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic affected all student groups, students experiencing homeless are falling behind other high-need learners as California emerges from the pandemic.
blog post Testimony: Most Californians Are “Pretty Happy” but a Growing Share Are “Not Too Happy” By Mark Baldassare Mar 12, 2024 Mark Baldassare, PPIC Statewide Survey director and Miller Chair in Public Policy, testified at a hearing of the Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes. He discussed Californians' overall happiness as well as their level of satisfaction with work, household finances, and other aspects of life.
blog post California’s Economy—Past, Present, and Future By Sarah Bohn Feb 29, 2024 As part on an ongoing series celebrating PPIC's 30th anniversary, Sarah Bohn—who directs the new PPIC Economic Policy Center—reflects on key trends and transformations in the state's economy over the last three decades.
