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In a 70-minute interview with CalMatters reporters, Lanhee Chen, the only Republican running for state controller, talks about his priorities and how he would work with Democrats in power.

California has almost $20 billion of debt from the surge in unemployment claims during the pandemic, more than any other state. One reason is California’s higher unemployment rate; another is that employer taxes haven’t kept up with increasing benefits. Now, employers will see an automatic tax increase to start paying off the debt, and Newsom has proposed spending $3 billion in state funds to reduce the debt.

The Employment Development Department says it suspects 98% of the 27,000 medical providers associated with disability claims are fraudulent.

California's unemployment rate is decreasing, but nearly 1 million workers have disappeared from the workforce.

California is asking some 1.4 million unemployment recipients to prove their eligibility months after receiving aid as part of a fraud recovery campaign. But some people say they’re caught in the Employment Development Department’s dragnet because they don’t have the documents to be cleared. Now, some risk having to pay back more than $30,000 — or face collection.

California is requiring unemployment recipients to retroactively prove their work history – but experts say low-income recipients could be forced to repay money they don’t have. Some even say ineligible recipients should get a pass.

Who will take the helm of the state auditor's office and evaluate Newsom's administration?

California's unemployment department is making progress on key reforms, but some of the most transformational changes are still years away.

The numbers are irrefutable: Many Californians aren’t going back to work. Although the Golden State created a whopping 44% of the nation’s new jobs last month, its unemployment rate remained the second-highest in the country at 7.5%, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. That’s essentially unchanged from the 7.6% unemployment […]

Ironically, as Californians celebrate Labor Day weekend, millions will see their unemployment benefits reduced or cut off altogether. That’s because the federal government on Saturday is ending four key programs intended to help keep people afloat amid the pandemic — a shift that will cause about 2.2 million of the 3 million Californians currently receiving […]