California's Economy and Taxes

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New Unemployment Insurance Fund Forecast Shows Imbalance July 7, 2023

The administration's recent Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund forecast shows that UI benefit payments will exceed state payroll tax contributions by $1.1 billion in 2023. Historically, benefit payments have only exceeded contributions during major economic downturns. For the first time, the fund is expected to be out of balance during a period of job growth.

Chas Alamo

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Unemployment Claims Tracker December 9, 2022

Despite worrying signs in some parts of the economy, the labor market remains steady. Seasonally adjusted weekly UI claims held steady over the last several months at between 40,000 and 50,000 claims per week. This level is in-line with UI claims seen during periods of sustained economic growth.

Chas Alamo

December 2020 Jobs Report January 28, 2021

California lost 52,200 net jobs in December, as the pandemic surge slowed the leisure and hospitality sector.

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Unemployment Claims Update: November and December 2020 January 20, 2021

A brief look at recent Unemployment Insurance claims and benefits.

Chas Alamo

Thumbnail for 2020-21 Fiscal Outlook: Recent Job Losses Concentrated Among Childless Workers, Dampening Caseload Growth

2020-21 Fiscal Outlook: Recent Job Losses Concentrated Among Childless Workers, Dampening Caseload Growth December 8, 2020

In this post, we look at one unforeseen labor market shift that has important implications for the state’s fiscal picture: compared to past recessions, a larger share of workers who have lost jobs during the pandemic do not have children.

Thumbnail for COVID-19 and the Labor Market: Which Workers Have Been Hardest Hit by the Pandemic?

COVID-19 and the Labor Market: Which Workers Have Been Hardest Hit by the Pandemic? December 8, 2020

The California labor market collapsed in late March and early April due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In response to COVID-19, state and local officials took steps to limit the spread of the disease. The Governor issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 19. Since that time, public health officials have issued various directives limiting daily activities. These efforts, as well as health concerns, depressed economic activity across the state. As a result, many employers cut jobs. In this post, we take a closer look at how the pandemic has affected different industries and different types of workers in California.