Cal Facts: 2016

Dec 5, 2016 - In 2015-16, there were about 9.0 employees per 1,000 population. State Costs for Employee Compensation Include Benefits Excluding university, legislative, and judicial employees, the state spent about $23  billion (all funds) in employee compensation  costs in 2015-16.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3511/1

California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - After the dot-com bust and the Great Recession, it took four and five years, respectively, for revenues to recover. Incorporating revenue risk into the budget now, therefore, reflects prudence, not pessimism.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Oct 16, 2025 - The spending plan includes two types of these loans: $550  million in loans allocated to specific funds ($150  million from the Unfair Competition Law Fund and $400  million from the Labor and Workforce Development Fund) and $1.5  billion in unallocated special fund loans, authorized through Control Section 13.40.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5079

The 2025-26 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 17, 2025 - The  largest component is a $1.5  billion upward revision to the entering fund balance, primarily driven by higher ‑than ‑expected reversions of unspent funds and lower required Proposition  2 (2014) debt payments.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5044

The 2018-19 Budget: California Spending Plan (Final Version)

Oct 2, 2018 - Figure 16 Major Human Services Programs and Departments —Spending Trends General Fund (Dollars in Millions) 2017 ‑18 Change From 2017 ‑18 to 2018 ‑19 Amount Department of Child Support Services 315.6 All other social services (including state support) 525.6 Major Actions —Human Services Programs 2018 ‑19 General Fund Effect (In Millions) Program Creates new Safety Net Reserve and makes initial
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3870/7

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - In March of 2004, on the heels of the dot ‑com bust, voters passed Proposition  58, which created the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA). In the 2006 ‑07 budget, the Legislature deposited $472  million into the BSA and in 2007 ‑08 deposited $1.5  billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - For California, the dot ‑com era —when stocks rose and then fell precipitously in response to widespread adoption of the internet —offers the most salient example. The internet has proven to be a transformative technology and, yet, the stock market ’s initial reaction was clearly overly exuberant.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - These included (1)  a $1.5  billion ($760  million General Fund) reduction through the permanent and ongoing reduction of 10,000 vacant positions and the associated funding and (2)  a reduction to General Fund operating expenditures of $2.2  billion in 2024 ‑25 and $2.8  billion in 2025 ‑26 and ongoing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

Fiscal Outlook Supplement on Proposition 2: True Up Calculations

Dec 3, 2015 - Proposition 2 makes reserve deposits by putting aside: (1) 1.5 percent of General Fund revenues (we refer to this as the “base amount ”) and (2) a portion of capital gains revenues that exceed a specified threshold.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3314

Proposed Reserves in the Governor’s May Revision

May 17, 2016 - First, the state sets aside 1.5 percent of General Fund revenues (the “base amount ”). Second, the state sets aside a portion of capital gains that exceed a specified threshold ( “excess capital gains ”).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3463