California was home to 10.6 million immigrants in 2022, making up 27% of the state population – the largest percentage of immigrant residents of any state.
Immigrants are essential to California’s labor force, with a total of 5.9 million immigrants employed in California from 2020 to 2022, representing 1 in 3 workers in the state. Immigrants and children of immigrants made up over half of all California workers during this same period. In addition, 43% of working households in California included immigrants in 2022.
As immigrants continue to be vital in creating vibrant communities and the strong workforce that has California poised to become the world’s 4th largest economy, policymakers should end immigration status exclusions from our safety net programs to ensure all Californians have access to the supports they need to thrive.
