The 2024-25 Budget: State Employee Compensation

Mar 21, 2024 - Specifically, the data suggest that the Secretary of State (SOS) has a vacancy rate of 49  percent. In fact, however, in 2022 ‑23, the average monthly vacancy rate for SOS was 27  percent. The SCO and SOS reported that the 49  percent vacancy rate was not correct and that it was the result of internal processing issues at SCO.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4888

The 2022-23 Budget: UC Climate-Related Proposals

Feb 16, 2022 - Though the upfront costs can be high, the federal and state governments tend to value R &D given that so many people potentially can benefit from new discoveries and technologies. Moreover, climate change R &D could be viewed as particularly warranted in California because the state has set its own GHG reduction goals.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4538

The 2022-23 Budget: Assessing Proposals to Address Unemployment Insurance Fraud

Feb 15, 2022 - Specifically, federal law allowed self ‑employed workers to backdate new PUA  claims to when they lost work, meaning a first fraudulent check could total several thousand dollars. Second, whereas EDD typically verifies claims against employer payroll records, it could not do so for self ‑employed workers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4542

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 5 (Highway Patrol)

Aug 23, 2024 - The proposed MOU would make the JLMC a standing committee with no set date to conclude its activities. The administration indicates that this JLMC improved communication between the union and the department to better assist inju red employees seek proper medical aid and return to work as quickly as possible.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4920

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections)

Jun 23, 2025 - We raised concerns in 2018 that CalHR provided no supporting evidence to justify Unit 6 pay increases despite it being required by state law (see our May 2018 analysis ). We raised concerns in 2019 that CalHR withheld (and continues to withhold) a compensation study it completed in 2018 (see our June 2019 analysis ) and proceeded to not produce compensation
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5058

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 16 (Physicians, Dentists, and Podiatrists)

Jul 14, 2025 - While the study indicated that state dentists are retiring at higher rates than statewide or other Unit 16 positions, the elevated retirement rate does not seem to be affecting the state ’s ability to fill dentist positions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5064

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 8 (Firefighters)

Aug 19, 2025 - However, based on the cost to reduce it by six hours (from 72 hours to 66 hours), it seems reasonable to assume that such an action would increase annual costs by at least several hundreds of millions of dollars.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5066

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 12 (Craft and Maintenance)

Jun 27, 2025 - Figure  3 shows the average monthly salaries of Unit 12 members, adjusted for inflation. The figure shows a significant decline in average adjusted monthly salary for Unit 12 members over the past couple of decades.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5060

Refocusing the Workers’ Compensation Subsequent Injury Program

Jul 10, 2025 - As one point of reference, this is roughly equivalent in size to the state ’s outstanding federal Unemployment Insurance loan taken out during the pandemic that employers are set to repay over the coming years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5062

MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 9 (Professional Engineers)

Jun 27, 2025 - Figure  1 shows the administration ’s estimated fiscal effects of the proposed agreement. As the figure shows, PLP 2025 and the suspension of OPEB prefunding would result in the state ’s Unit 9 compensation costs being lower than present levels through 2026-27.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5061