Building Reserves to Prepare for a Recession

Mar 7, 2018 - By most measures, the recession of the early 1990s was more severe than the dot ‑com bust in the early 2000s. For example, unemployment in California reached 9. 7  p ercent in mid ‑ to late ‑1992, but peaked at 6. 9  p ercent after the dot ‑com bust.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3769

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: CDTFA’s Cannabis and Tobacco Programs

Feb 23, 2026 - Our analysis of these issues in the next two sections revolves around two overarching questions: How much should CDTFA spend on cannabis and tobacco enforcement? How should the state pay for these activities?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5132

The 2018-19 May Revision: LAO Economic Outlook

May 12, 2018 - The typical PE ratio since 1990 is 21 (19 if the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s is excluded). Similar to the price-to-earnings ratio, the home price-to-rent ratio is used to gauge if home prices are in line with underlying demand for housing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3829

Updating the California Necessities Index

Aug 14, 2025 - Updating the California Necessities Index Criteria In our search for a replacement for the CNI, we first restrict our attention to options that meet two  requirements. Feasibility. First, new measures must be calculable using publicly available data that is published in a timely manner.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5065

Income Mobility in California Across Generations - How Can Place Influence Mobility? [Video]

Income Mobility in California Across Generations - How Can Place Influence Mobility? [Video] Search LAO Videos Income Mobility in California Across Generations January 4, 2017 In these three short videos, Fiscal & Policy Analyst Ann Hollingshead highlights some of the concepts and findings in the LAO report  Income Mobility in California Across Generations .   
https://lao.ca.gov/Videos/Player?playlistId=108&videoId=167

Understanding Your Property Tax Bill - The 1 Percent Tax—Where Does Your Money Go? [Video]

December 9, 2015 State law directs how your county auditor distributes revenue from the 1 percent tax to: Local Governments in Your County. This includes cities, the county, special districts, and schools and community college districts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Videos/Player?playlistId=96&videoId=144

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

Mar 18, 2025 - Subsidized employment programs (often known as transitional employment) aim to increase employment among target populations by simultaneously (1)  providing training and job search services to workers and (2)  prioritizing jobs for participants or lowering costs through employer subsidies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5018

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - Under the state ’s experience rating system, employers ’ annual tax rates are based on both how much that employer has contributed to the system and how much in benefits are attributable to its previous employees for all previous years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943

Managing California’s Cash

Sep 3, 2019 - After a period of relative calm in the mid ‑ and late ‑1990s, California faced another series of years with acute budget problems following the dot ‑com bust and ensuing recession. Although the dot ‑com bust was relatively mild in economic terms, it hit the California budget —which is particularly reliant on the Bay Area ’s technology sector —especially hard.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4092