California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - We apply this method to monthly CPS data from January 2022 through December 2023 to construct the estimates that appear in Figures 3 through 7 in the post Is California’s Minimum Wage High, Low, or Somewhere in Between?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/4

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - Figure  3 shows that most low-wage workers live in households without any children under 18. Roughly 20  percent live with one child, 15  percent with two children, and fewer than 10  percent with three or more children.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/1

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - As shown in Figure  3, our estimates suggest that the share of workers in low-wage jobs declines by more than one-third between the ages of 25 and 32. This decline suggests that a substantial share of workers spend just a handful of years in low-wage jobs before moving on to mid-to-high-wage jobs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/2

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - In 20 of those counties —including the most populous ones —such households faced housing costs that exceed 100  percent of their gross income. Some Areas With Very High Housing Costs Do Not Have Local Minimum Wages.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/3

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - Over the last decade, two statutes —Chapter  351 of 2013 (AB  10, Alejo) and Chapter  4 of 2016 (SB  3, Leno) —gradually have increased California ’s statewide minimum wage from $8 per hour to $16 per hour.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878

The 2021-22 Budget: Business Tax Incentives

Jan 28, 2021 - This would provide for a roughly $ 400  m illion credit program. Given this larger pot of money, we would suggest the Legislature expand the Governor ’s proposal by: Broadening Eligibility to Other Impacted Businesses.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4327

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Figure  3 shows how credits have been allocated across sectors over the last five years. Of the $1.2  billion in awards made between 2021 and 2025, around $650  million, or over half, has been allocated to businesses in advanced manufacturing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

The 2026-27 Budget: State Mandate—Disclosure Requirements and Deferral of Property Taxation

Feb 19, 2026 - In particular, state law directs our office to report on the annual state costs for new mandates and make recommendations to the Legislature as to whether the new mandates should be (1)  repealed (permanently eliminating it or making it optional), (2)  suspended (rendering it inoperative for one year), (3)  modified, or (4)  funded.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5130

The 2025-26 Budget: CDTFA’s Tobacco Programs

Feb 14, 2025 - This suggests that the annual revenue loss from the flavor ban might be around $300  million to $400  million. Interpretation of Revenue Loss Unclear. Under the flavor ban, people who otherwise would consume flavored tobacco have three main options: (1)  avoid tobacco use altogether, (2)  switch to unflavored tobacco products, or (3)  obtain flavored tobacco from sources that violate the ban or from sources not subject to the ban (for example, other states).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4966

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - The budget includes $100  million one-time General Fund to backfill anticipated reductions in federal VOCA funding. This amount is similar to the amount provided in 2024-25 ($103  million). These funds support various OES victim grant programs and are intended to allow existing programs to maintain current service levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081/