California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - Most Low-Wage Workers Have No Minor Children. 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 - We make this comparison across several different types of h ouseholds, with varying numbers of adults and children: For a single parent with three children, the statewide minimum wage is right around the poverty level.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/3

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - An adult couple without children live in a studio/efficiency. An adult couple with one or two children live in a two-bedroom apartment. Selected References Arellano, Manuel and Stephane Bonhomme (2017).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/4

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Program. The budget provides $7  million in ongoing General Fund for ICAC program grants. Funding for the program, which had typically been $5  million annually, was set to expire at the end of 2024-25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081

Tax Credit Expansions in the American Rescue Plan

Apr 13, 2021 - Under permanent law, filers can claim a nonrefundable credit of between 20  percent and 35  percent (depending on income) of the first $3,000 of annual expenses for one child under the age of 13 or the first $6,000 (combined, not individually) for two or more children.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4410

Improving California’s Unemployment Insurance Program

Aug 8, 2022 - In another case, EDD denied the claim because the worker was caring for her children while unemployed. Thus, according to the decision, the worker was unavailable for work. (State eligibility rules allow parents to look after their children while unemployed, so long as they arrange child care when they get hired.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - During the phase ‑in period, the state also entered the dot ‑com recession. These two cost pressures absorbed the remaining flexibility in the state ’s UI tax system. As  shown in Figure  4 , the state began this period in Schedule C but quickly moved to Schedule F+, the highest tax schedule, where it has remained since.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943

Evaluating State Economic Stimulus Proposals

Feb 1, 2021 - For example, expanding childcare primarily benefits families with young children and reducing college tuition primarily benefits college students. Economic stimulus can be broad or targeted. In assessing an economic stimulus proposal, consider which groups would directly benefit from t he new program and whether that is consistent with the needs of the economy.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4331