blog post Video: California’s Economic Future By Mary Severance Feb 22, 2024 At the launch event for PPIC's new Economic Policy Center, Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal spoke with center director Sarah Bohn and leaders from across the state about how California's economy is faring and what kinds of policies could best help workers and businesses thrive.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Nov 9, 2022 Amid rising prices and economic uncertainty, more than two in three Californians are pessimistic about how the state’s economy will do over the next year. An overwhelming majority of employed Californians are at least somewhat satisfied with their jobs, but satisfaction declines among lower-income residents.
event California’s Economic Future Feb 14, 2024 California is a powerhouse of innovation and wealth-building—yet our state has the highest poverty rate in the nation. What policies can best support California’s economic leadership and also ensure that more of its residents benefit from the state’s success? Join Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal and a panel of experts for a wide-ranging conversation on California’s economic future.
Report Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson Aug 29, 2023 Increasing the number of California community college students who transfer to four-year institutions is critical for creating a more diverse pool of college graduates. Despite recent progress, transfer rates remain low and racial disparities persist. Several reforms are already underway, and higher education institutions must continue to work together so more students can reach their academic goals.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas Nov 8, 2023 Key findings include: A record-high 71 percent of Californians believe that children growing up in the state today will be worse off financially than their parents. Three in ten workers fear losing their jobs to new technology like artificial intelligence. A majority say that California will have bad economic times in the next 12 months; about half approve of how Governor Newsom is handling jobs and the economy.
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.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
Fact Sheet California’s Population By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Eric McGhee Jan 19, 2024 Growth in the nation’s most populous state has slowed notably in the 21st century, with recent years bringing a drop in population due to higher deaths, lower births, and changes in migration. More than half of Californians under 24 are Latino while more than half of Californians 65 and older are white.
Report Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Oct 25, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital connectivity for learning—while highlighting serious inequities in access to broadband and computing devices. Learn about the progress California made last year and the steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all California students.
