COVID-19 and California’s Economy

Looking back over the past three years, how did the economic challenges of the pandemic—and the state’s response—evolve? And what are Californians’ economic circumstances today?

On Our Blog

PPIC’s recent posts include those in our ongoing series on COVID-19 and California along with analyses of other key issues in the state.

Photo - California state capitol amid downtown office buildings in Sacramento

Californians’ Views on Governor Newsom and the State of the State

Mark Baldassare

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Photo - California aqueduct with a stormy sky

Testimony: Adapting California’s Water Rights System to the 21st-Century Climate

Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Jeffrey Mount

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Photo - Young woman with a child in a shelter

Homeless Populations Are Rising around California

Jennifer Paluch, Joseph Herrera

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Photo - Nurse talking to patients in a hospital waiting room

As a Pandemic Medi-Cal Policy Ends, Some Californians Will Fall through the Cracks

Paulette Cha

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Photo - Young woman tutoring a preteen boy in a school library

Are Summer School Programs Reaching Students Who Need Them Most?

Darriya Starr, Niu Gao

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New Publications

Income Inequality in California

Top incomes soared over recent decades while bottom incomes faltered. Without tax and safety net programs, the income gap would be wider.

Tess Thorman, Daniel Payares-Montoya, and Joseph Herrera

Arrests in California

After falling dramatically over the past few decades, California’s overall arrest rate reached a historic low in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, and Andrew Skelton

Law Enforcement Staffing in California

Statewide staffing levels dropped significantly in 2021. Almost half of California’s law enforcement officers work for municipal police departments.

Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom, and Andrew Skelton

Photo - Day of graduation at a university

Is College Worth It?

Amid rising college costs and concerns about student debt, we explore whether a college degree actually leads to higher earnings and better jobs.

Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Vicki Hsieh, and Hans Johnson

Events

SAVE THE DATE

Photo - Adult man getting a COVID-19 vaccine at his rural house

Pandemic Changes to Medi-Cal and Implications for Immigrant Farmworkers

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Pandemic changes to Medi-Cal made it easier to stay enrolled and to access expanded services. PPIC researcher Paulette Cha will discuss how the policy shift may have improved care for immigrant farmworkers, and what will change when the policy ends.

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