unemployment

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.

For evidence that crime will likely be a key issue for California voters in next year’s election, look no further than this weekend. On Sunday, a pack of looters robbed a jewelry store in a Hayward mall, smashing glass cases and absconding with the valuables into waiting cars. Also Sunday, Walnut Creek police recommended that […]

California’s official unemployment rate is 7.5%. But a newer method of measuring unemployment reveals a far larger portion of the state is struggling to find full-time employment that pays enough to cover the cost of living.

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

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, October 7. Big decisions await T-minus three days. That’s how much time Gov. Gavin Newsom has left to decide the fate of the remaining bills on his desk — and as the deadline draws nearer, the buildup for big-ticket and contentious proposals is getting more intense.  The direct impact of […]

Building an "endemic" economy means creating consistent policies for the long haul, not enacting arbitrary, short-term mandates.

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 […]

Is California (a) leading the nation in job creation (b) home to the country's second-highest unemployment rate or (c) all of the above?

With a record state budget surplus and $27 billion in additional federal stimulus dollars, the Legislature and governor should commit to paying down the $22 billion unemployment insurance debt.