Economy - Public Policy Institute of California

Latest Publications

Droughts in California April 2021 Jeffrey Mount, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Gokce Sencan

California is highly prone to droughts, and climate change makes them worse. This fact sheet describes key challenges to managing dry times.

Building California’s Cradle-to-Career Data System April 2021Jacob Jackson

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government March 2021Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas

Immigrants and Education in California March 2021Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Read in Spanish

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Blog

photo - Back of Graduates Wearing Mortar Boards

California Sees More College Graduates, but Progress Is Uneven April 15 2021Cesar Alesi Perez, Hans Johnson, Vicki Hsieh

Video: A Conversation with US Senator Alex Padilla April 12 2021Vicki Hsieh

Home Prices Keep Racing up in California April 9 2021Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune, Hans Johnson

Video: Californians and Their Government April 8 2021Stephanie Barton

Events

California lake with very low water from years of drought.

May 6, 2021 Is California Ready for Drought?

April 6, 2021 A Conversation with US Senator Alex Padilla

Event Video

April 1, 2021 Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

Event Video

Young modern mother with a baby using laptop at home

March 25, 2021 Women and the Pandemic Economy

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PPIC Experts

Interactives

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Data Sets

Download Economy data from Data Depot

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Economy Chart: Unemployment is at a Long-Term Low in California

BY THE NUMBERS

Recent recessions have hit California hard, but job losses in 2020 were unprecedented

The California economy generally moves with the US economy, but tends to swing more widely in recessions. For example, unemployment rose more dramatically in California than in all but two other states during 2020.