Report Silicon Valley’s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs By AnnaLee Saxenian Jun 1, 1999 Immigration has always been an important policy issue for California, However, researchers and policymakers have focused most of their attention on low-skilled immigrants. This study focuses, instead, on the highly skilled immigrant entrepreneurs who are managing high-tech firms in Silicon Valley. Chinese and Indian computer scientists and engineers were running one-quarter of the region's high-tech firms in 1998. In that year alone, these firms accounted for nearly $17 billion in sales and over 58,000 jobs.
California Counts, Report Crime, Corrections, and California: What Does Immigration Have to Do with It? By Kristin Butcher, Anne Piehl Feb 25, 2008 Immigrants are far less likely than the average U.S. native to commit crime in California, according to this issue of California Counts. For example, among men ages 18-40 – the age group most likely to commit crime – the U.S.-born are 10 times more likely than the foreign-born to be in jail or prison. Even among noncitizen men from Mexico ages 18-40 – a group disproportionately likely to have entered the United States illegally – the authors find very low rates of institutionalization. Such findings suggest that longstanding fears of immigration as a threat to public safety are unjustified.
Report Educational Progress Across Immigrant Generations in California By Deborah Reed, Laura Hill, Christopher Jepsen, Hans Johnson Sep 8, 2005 The children and grandchildren of California’s substantial and growing immigrant population are consistently attaining higher levels of educational achievement than their parents and grandparents did—good news for them and for the future of California. But levels of educational success vary widely among different groups of immigrants, and some groups, notably those from Mexico, lag well behind others. In this report, the authors explore the disparities in educational attainment among these groups, while also showing that data clearly affirm the overall positive trend. Their research shows that disparities in the education levels of the parents in these groups play a significant role in explaining these gaps in educational attainment. This insight suggests opportunities for policy makers seeking to help all youth to achieve their own educational—and therefore economic—success stories.
Report California’s Future: Housing By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Jan 2, 2020 The high cost of housing has emerged as a threat to California’s future. There are no quick fixes, and state efforts to improve affordability and address homelessness must interact with local policies.
Report California’s Future Workforce: Will There Be Enough College Graduates? By Deborah Reed Dec 7, 2008 Over the past several decades, the demand in California for college-educated workers has grown. But the supply of college graduates has not kept pace with demand, and it appears that this “workforce skills gap” will not only continue but widen. This study examines the causes, magnitude, and likely consequences of the potential mismatch between the level of education the future population is likely to possess and the level of education demanded by the future economy. The author concludes that if current trends continue, California will experience a serious shortfall of college graduates by 2025, unable to meet its needs even through the migration of college graduates from other states.
Report Business Relocation and Homegrown Jobs, 1992–2006 By Jed Kolko Sep 22, 2010 The majority of California’s job losses and gains in recent decades are "homegrown”—that is, they take place in locally owned and operated businesses. This update shows that only a small fraction of the state’s job losses are caused by businesses leaving the state. Relocation accounts for a smaller share of job gains and losses in California than in most other states, in part because most California businesses lie far from the border of neighboring states. This report was supported with funding from the David A. Coulter Family Foundation.
Report Online Learning and Student Outcomes in Community Colleges By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia May 14, 2014 Online course enrollment has increased dramatically at California’s community colleges. Students are less likely to successfully complete an online course than a traditional course. But many use online courses to achieve their long-term goals. This research was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha Jul 31, 2013 Some findings of the current survey: A record-high majority say California should act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, rather than wait until the economy improves. Although many are unaware of the state’s cap-and-trade program, most consider it important to spend some of the revenues in disadvantaged areas. Slim majorities favor building the Keystone XL Pipeline, but oppose increased use of fracking. Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF] Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] U.S. Congress [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [XLS] Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] U.S. Congress [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Report Transitions for the Delta Economy By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Richard Howitt, Josué Medellín-Azuara Jan 10, 2012 Enormous changes—from natural forces to management decisions—are coming to California’s fragile Delta region and will have broad effects on its residents. This report finds that in the first half of this century, the Delta as a whole is likely to experience a loss of 1 percent of economic activity as a result of these changes. It also identifies planning priorities for managing the Delta’s future. This research was supported with funding from the Watershed Sciences Center at UC Davis.
Report Reclassification of English Learner Students in California By Laura Hill, Joseph Hayes, Margaret Weston Jan 21, 2014 California’s English Learner students lag behind their native English speaking peers. But students who are reclassified as English proficient sometimes outperform even native speakers. Should more English Learners be reclassified, and more quickly? As policymakers consider this question, they need to understand the relationship between reclassification policies and student outcomes.
