Erica Yee

Data Reporter

Erica Yee is a data reporter who collaborates frequently with the health, education, inequality and environment teams. She joined CalMatters as an intern in 2020 and then stuck around as part of the growing Data and Interactives team.

Sometimes her days look like meticulously poring over spreadsheets. Other times they consist of designing and coding engaging graphics and tools to help Californians better understand their home and their neighbors. She aims to make public information actionable, accessible and digestible.

Recently Erica has reported on closing hospital maternity wards, teacher turnover and the state’s transition to electric cars. She has also contributed to explainers on urban water issues, reparations and the opioid crisis.

She was part of CalMatters teams who won awards for a drought and water tracker, wage theft series and multimedia project on high schooler experiences of COVID-19 inequality.

Erica earned a degree in journalism and information science from Northeastern University. As a student, she interned at the San Francisco Chronicle, CNBC and Boston.com. She is based in Oakland.

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Latest Stories

CalMatters en Español

Cuando los empleadores roban el salario de los trabajadores

Read this article in English. A algunos de los trabajadores con salarios más bajos le están robando el medio de vida a sus propios empleadores. Los empleadores niegan a los trabajadores los pagos especiales por horas extra, les piden que trabajen “fuera de horario” o les quitan las propinas. En California, los trabajadores perdieron casi […]

and

• July 25, 2022

California Divide

When employers steal wages from workers

Wage theft takes hundreds of millions of dollars from the pockets of thousands of California's lowest paid workers.

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• July 25, 2022

CalMatters en Español

Los estudiantes de bajos ingresos tienen más probabilidad de estar en aulas con maestros poco capacitados

En resumen Una escasez persistente de maestros ha obligado a muchos distritos escolares de California a contratar maestros que no están completamente acreditados o que están enseñando fuera de sus materias. Más de esos maestros están enseñando clases en escuelas con altos porcentajes de estudiantes de bajos ingresos, lo que socava los esfuerzos para lograr […]

Joe Hong

and

Erica Yee

• July 21, 2022

Education

Low-income students are more likely to be in classrooms with underqualified teachers

A persistent teacher shortage has forced many California school districts to hire teachers who aren’t fully credentialed or are teaching out of their subject areas. More of those teachers are teaching classes at schools with high percentages of low-income students, undermining efforts to achieve academic parity with more affluent schools.

Joe Hong

and

Erica Yee

• July 21, 2022

Politics

How big is California’s historic budget, visualized

Where does California's historic budget proposal rank compared to previous budgets, and just how big is $300 billion?

Erica Yee

Jeremia Kimelman

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John Osborn D'Agostino

• June 17, 2022

CalMatters en Español

Un área altamente riesgoza en aire contaminado originador de cancer y otras enfermedades: Comprobado con números

En resumen Una mirada a una región contaminada que tiene como prioridad tener aire limpio según la ley de justicia ambiental de California. Read this article in English. En Wilmington, Carson y West Long Beach, la gente vive con fuentes importantes de contaminación casi en sus patios traseros: los dos puertos más activos del país, cinco refinerías […]

Erica Yee

and

Hannah Getahun

• February 1, 2022

Environment

A hot spot for polluted air: By the numbers

A look at one polluted region — the LA/Long Beach port communities — targeted for clean-air priority under California’s environmental justice law.

Erica Yee

and

Hannah Getahun

• February 1, 2022

Explainers

Danger in Droughtsville: California’s urban water at risk

California cities face an array of crippling threats to water supplies: rising seas, extreme weather, drought, contamination, quakes, fires.

Erica Yee

• December 21, 2021

California Divide

What’s the role of unions in the 21st century?

While California faces extreme labor stratification, unions represent just 16% of workers. Would more unions in the private-sector reduce inequality or raise costs?

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• September 23, 2021

California Divide

Look up your Golden State Stimulus amount

Lea este artículo en español. California is expanding its Golden State Stimulus program for low-income households to middle-class families. Under a new budget that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday night, state lawmakers agreed to spend $8.1 billion to help out millions of working families. That comes on top of $3.8 billion sent out earlier this year to low-income […]

Erica Yee

Frida Qi

and

Jackie Botts

• July 1, 2021