California is losing jobs again. As COVID-19 cases surged in late 2020 and new restrictions affecting businesses had to be put in place, California began to lose jobs again for the first time since the pandemic began. This deepened the massive hole in the state’s job market. In total, California had 1.5 million fewer jobs in December than in February 2020, the month before the COVID-19 recession began. As 2020 came to an end – and 10 months into the COVID-19 recession – California was still down more jobs than the state lost during the Great Recession.
Our state has a diverse and dynamic economy. Yet, a large share of Californians live in poverty, wages for the typical worker have been stagnant over the past generation, and there is a widening gap between the wealthiest Californians and households with low incomes. Through our analyses of employment, incomes, and overall economic security, the Budget Center seeks to shed light on state and regional trends while highlighting potential policy approaches for helping Californians with low and middle incomes be able to work, live and provide for their families in our communities.
Featured Resources
Data Hit
Most Latinx and Black Households With Children Are Having Difficulty Paying for Basic Expenses
Latinx and Black households with children are far more likely to report difficulty meeting basic needs. About 8 in 10 Latinx and 7 in 10 Black households with children recently had difficulty paying for basic expenses, including food and rent.
Interactive
Women’s Well-Being Index
The California Women’s Well-Being Index is a fully interactive data visualization that looks at women’s well-being in each of California’s 58 counties. The Index shows how women are faring overall and across five different areas of well-being: Health, Personal Safety, Employment & Earnings, Economic Security, and Political Empowerment. See the Index to learn how women are faring in your community.
Report
COVID-19 Recession at Six Months: California’s Unemployment Remains High
Millions of Californians are struggling to pay for basic necessities like housing and food amid the worst recession in recent history. California’s unemployment remains extremely high, particularly for Black and brown Californians. What’s more, the financial situation for many people has deteriorated as Congress has failed to extend additional federal unemployment benefits or provide any new economic relief that would significantly help children, families, and individuals who have lost income and cannot safely return to work. This report shows how California’s workers are faring six months into the COVID-19 recession and highlights the urgent need for federal and state policymakers to extend support to people and do more to respond to the economic crisis that is exacerbating health and financial disparities for Californians, especially Black and brown Californians.
Video
Women and People of Color Take Biggest Hits in California’s Job Losses
Who is hit hardest by California’s job losses that are far worse than the Great Recession? Women and people of color. In only two months – between February and April of this year – California lost 2.6 million jobs. That’s twice as many jobs as California lost during the Great Recession over almost three years. Senior Policy Analyst Alissa Anderson shares more about what the job losses mean for Californians and what policymakers can do to extend support needed now.