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Federal Fiscal Relief and COVID-19

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and provides the largest amount of fiscal relief to date – approximately $2 trillion. The CARES Act includes one-time cash rebates for low- and middle-income households; additional support for unemployment benefits; loans for small businesses; direct funding for states, local governments, and tribal communities; funds changes to food assistance in the Families First legislation; an array of additional health care supports; and some additional support for human services, housing and homelessness, and student debt relief. While this analysis will focus on the relief and assistance summarized above, the CARES Act also includes $500 billion in loans and other investment for businesses and a series of tax provisions that primarily will primarily benefit large corporations and higher-income households.

California’s Nonprofit Sector 2019

California’s nonprofits bring more than $40 billion into California each year from out-of-state sources, and one in every 14 California jobs is at a nonprofit.

CalSavers: 2019 Highlights

As we begin 2020 focused on major program growth, we’re proud to offer these highlights of CalSavers’ historic first year of active participation. In 2019, we saw our first pilot saver contributions on January 2 nd; welcomed our new board chair State Treasurer Fiona Ma on January 7th; fully launched the program statewide on July 1st; supported our early savers in amassing $1.4 million; and made many program enhancements along the way.

Causes Count – Sneak Peek

The nonprofit sector is a powerful economic engine in California, especially when it comes to employment and wages. The nonprofit industry employs more than 1.2 million Californians and, in 2016, paid a total of $74 Billion in wages.

Income Inequality Widens among Californians

New Census figures released show rising income inequality across the state and millions of California residents who are struggling to get by on extremely low incomes, while higher-income households experienced more income growth. Even as the latest figures also show there is a decline in the official poverty rate in California, these findings underscore the need for policymakers to ensure that the benefits of California’s strong economy and recent economic growth are shared among all Californians.

Latino Economic Well-Being in CA

In this report, we provide an up-to-date overview of the current economic conditions for Latinos, focused on the four key relating factors of income distribution, education, housing, and entrepreneurship. The report establishes a baseline of data that can be used to measure Latino economic progress over time. We also introduce the Latino Economic Index (LEI) that provides a visual data snapshot of Latino economic well-being at the regional and community level in California. With this index, we explore geographic hot spots of opportunity and identify areas that call for the most urgent investment and policy outcomes.

2019 California Economy Facts

California’s economy in 2018 ranks as the fifth largest in the world – larger than the UK, India, France, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Korea, and Russia. 

California 2019 Small Biz Profile

Overall California Economy• In the third quarter of 2018, California grew at an annual rate of 3.5%, which was faster than the overall US growth rate of 3.4%. California’s 2017 growth rate of 3.0% was down from the 2016 rate of 3.1%. (Source: BEA)• In February 2019, the unemployment rate was 4.2%, down from 4.3% in February 2018. This was above the February 2019 national unemployment rate of 3.8%. (Source: CPS)

2019 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2018 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity outlines the California Economic Summit’s plans for a comprehensive agenda to address with a triple bottom line approach to solving the state’s biggest challenges.

California Feudalism & The Middle Class

California Feudalism: The Squeeze on The Middle Class Chapman University, Center for Demographics and Policy First published October 2018 California was built by people with aspirations, many of them lacking cultural polish or elite educations, but dedicated to hard work, innovation, family, and community. A large number came from other countries or poor backgrounds: sharecroppers