Economy

The offices of the Employment Development Department in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Economy

Year in review: Danger signs for California’s economy

There are warning signs for the California economy: Unemployment is inching up, tech layoffs continue and IPOs are waning. Experts expect a downturn, but it's still possible the state will avoid a recession.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• December 18, 2023

Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters; iStock

Economy

Getting car insurance gets harder: California drivers face delays, higher rates

Californians have said they experienced added difficulty over the past year in getting car insurance. Insurer rates have gone up more than usual.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• December 11, 2023

Economy

California missed chances to stop EBT theft. It’s lost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars since

Amid pandemic, California pushed off a plan to prevent EBT theft. Now $10 million a month is stolen from the poor, at taxpayer expense.

By

Jeanne Kuang

• November 8, 2023

Housing

‘Prompt action’ on fire insurance has yet to help California homeowners

While state regulators craft new regulations and consult with the insurance industry, many Californians are paying extra-high premiums — or going without insurance entirely.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• November 8, 2023

Economy

The lasting toll of California’s COVID layoffs

From lost homes to mounting debt, workers from across the state share how they were impacted by payment delays, fraud panic and mass confusion about unemployment benefits.

By

Lauren Hepler

• November 7, 2023

Economy

Inside California’s billion-dollar bet to overhaul unemployment

The EDD is getting a rebuild from the likes of Salesforce and Amazon as pandemic payment disputes drag on and fraud hits other state benefit systems. Workers, advocates and tech experts are hopeful, but wary.

By

Lauren Hepler

• November 7, 2023

Economy

The unemployment money that came too late

One California family is haunted by their youngest son’s increasingly frantic — and futile — attempts to break through the EDD’s jammed unemployment lines.

By

Lauren Hepler

• November 7, 2023

Economy

Internal documents reveal the story behind California’s unemployment crash

Scammers pulled off one of the biggest suspected frauds in U.S. history while laid-off workers scrambled to survive. A CalMatters investigation finds that the EDD missed red flags and failed to make long-promised changes before the pandemic — and that once the twin crises hit, the state and its top contractors kept making money but were slow to deliver relief.

By

Lauren Hepler

• November 7, 2023

A poster explains ways to file for unemployment insurance benefits, as job seekers look for work at the JobTrain employment office in Menlo Park. Photo by Paul Sakuma, AP Photo

Economy

Unemployment insurance: California’s ‘urgent’ $20 billion problem

The state’s unemployment insurance debt, which ballooned as a result of the pandemic, is in dire straits with no clear path forward.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• October 31, 2023

A driverless Cruise vehicle in San Francisco on Aug. 18, 2023.

Economy

Two state agencies ground Cruise driverless cars for public safety

A recent incident in San Francisco spurred the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission to suspend the licenses for Cruise’s driverless cars.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• October 24, 2023