Updating the California Necessities Index

Aug 14, 2025 - To score well on this assessment, the average of the differences across years should be small. It  is also important that these differences be symmetric: a new measure should minimize the extent to which changes are consistently higher or lower than the current CNI.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5065

Updating the California Necessities Index [Publication Details]

Aug 14, 2025 - Recent changes were made to the publication of statistics required to calculate the California Necessities Index, which is used to adjust certain benefit rates and cost-of-living adjustments. In this brief, we provide details on the changes and evaluate alternatives for the index that require only currently available data and conform to the original intent of the index.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5065

Local Sales Tax Rebates in 2023-24

Sep 16, 2025 - One-quarter of Californians live in a jurisdiction that paid rebates in 2023-24. Focusing on these areas, Figure  3 displays the distribution of rebate payments across jurisdictions, weighted by the number of residents.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5074

The 2022-23 Budget: Supply Chain and Port Infrastructure Proposals

Feb 15, 2022 - The Governor ’s budget provides $3.5  million from the General Fund in 2022 ‑23 (and $10  million annually from 2023 ‑24 through 2025 ‑26) for DMV to lease dedicated commercial drive test centers in the Bay Area and northern Los Angeles County.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4540

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - IHSS providers ’ wages are determined through collective bargaining with county governments. As of February 2024, IHSS provider wages in many counties exceeded $18 per hour. Nevertheless, the OEWS estimates suggest that the median wage for home health and personal care aides was below $17.50 per hour in 2023.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/1

Evaluation of a Tax Exemption for Zero-Emission Buses

Apr 15, 2024 - Local governments, such as cities, counties, and local transit authorities, generally own and operate these agencies. In 2019, passenger fares and fees provided 17  percent of funding for these agencies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4890

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

Feb 19, 2026 - In addition, counties generally have a practice of informing property owners of relief absent of state requirements. …But Reimburse County for Previously Incurred Costs. We recommend the state reimburse Los Angeles County for costs already incurred.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5130

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Complementing this, another study compared similarly scored applicants where one received a credit and the other did not and found that recipient firms subsequently increased employment and payroll in California relati ve to otherwise similar firms that narrowly missed receiving an award. 2018 Changes to Program Could Impact Employment Effects.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - For the most common types of low-wage workers —those who do not have children or who live with at least one other worker —the minimum wage is at least two times the poverty level. Official Poverty Measure Paints an Incomplete Picture.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/3

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - Whether the worker lives in Los Angeles County. Whether the worker belongs to a union. Whether the worker works in the manufacturing industry. Whether the worker holds multiple jobs. The worker ’s gender.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/4