Reports

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Eases to 5.3%; Total Employment Rises 32,400 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Unchanged at 62.0% Nonfarm Jobs Increase 32,400 Six Industries Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 8 Counties in Double-Digit Unemployment; 19 are 5% or Less Two-Tier Economy Persists 8 California MSAs in the 10 Worst Unemployment Rates Nationally Cost of Cost of Living Growing Faster in California County/Regional Employment by Industry Updates

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Eases to 5.4%; Total Employment Rises 46,300 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Unchanged at 62.0% Nonfarm Jobs Increase 4,200 Seven Industries Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 12 Counties Remain in Double-Digit Unemployment; 16 are 5% or Less Two-Tier Economy Persists 8 California MSAs in the 10 Worst Unemployment Rates Nationally All data used in this month’s report reflects the March 2015 benchmark revisions recently released by EDD and BLS, and labor force data for all geographic areas in the Center’s Data Tool and Indicators has been updated as well. These revisions affect previously reported data and related estimates beginning in 2010.

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.5%; Total Employment Grows 62,400 Nonfarm Jobs Increase 39,900 Two-Tier Economy Persists

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.7%; Total Employment Grows 52,400 Nonfarm Jobs Decrease 1,500 13 Counties in Double-Digit Unemployment; 13 are 5% or Less Two-Tier Economy Persists Annual Data Revisions

The recent release of the 2014 American Community Survey data provides an opportunity to gauge how California commuters have responded to this shifting policy. The data clearly reflects that even with the well-documented and rapidly rising costs of the state’s traffic congestion and costs associated with the deteriorating condition of the state’s roads, California workers continue to rely on single occupant vehicles for the primary mode of commuting. Moreover, their reliance on this mode of travel continues to grow both in absolute and relative terms.

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Up Slightly to 5.8%; Total Employment Little Changed at -9,800 Labor Force Participation Rate Unchanged Nonfarm Jobs Increase 60,400 Six Industries Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 12 Counties in Double-Digit Unemployment; 12 are 5% or Less Two-Tier Economy Persists Bay Area Continues to Dominate Employment Growth Number of Latino and Asian Employers Increased by About One-Third from 2002 Data revisions

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.7%; Total Employment Rises 10,900 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Declines to 62.0%–Another New Low Nonfarm Jobs Increase 5,500 Four Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels Six Counties Remain in Double-Digit Unemployment; 12 are 5% or Less Two-Tier Economy Persists Bay Area Continues to Dominate Employment Growth

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.8%; Total Employment Rises 15,400 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Declines to 62.1%–Another New Low Nonfarm Jobs Increase 41,200 Six Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels Three Counties in Double-Digit Unemployment; One-Quarter are 5% or Less Six California MSAs in Nation’s 10 Worst Unemployment Rates Two-Tier Economy Persists Bay Area Continues to Dominate Employment Growth Per Capita Personal Income Up 3.9% in 2014

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.9%; Total Employment Rises 11,900 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Declines to 62.2%–Lowest Point Since 1976 Nonfarm Jobs Increase 8,200 6 Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 1 County Remains in Double-Digit Unemployment; One-Third are 5% or Less 7 California MSAs in Nation’s 10 Worst Unemployment Rates Two-Tier Economy Persists Bay Area Continues to Dominate Employment Growth

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 6.1%; Total Employment Rises 12,200 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Declines to 62.3% Nonfarm Jobs Increase 36,300 6 Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 3 Counties Remain in Double-Digit Unemployment, 12 are 5% or Less 9 California MSAs in Nation’s 10 Worst Unemployment Rates Two-Tier Economy Persists

Summary Both California and the federal government have relied heavily on publicly and privately funded subsidies to incentivize development of alternative energies and related energy efficient products.  As the state is now considering potentially major expansions of these programs, it is appropriate to consider whether this approach as applied in the past has been broadly distributed, or instead has in practice favored specific income groups or regions.

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 6.3%; Total Employment Climbs 35,000 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Remains at 62.5% Nonfarm Jobs Increase 22,900 7 Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 6 Counties Remain in Double-Digit Unemployment, Down from 7 in May Two-Tier Economy Persists

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Increases to 6.4%; Total Employment Climbs 59,100 State Employment Growth Rankings Labor Force Participation Rate Increases to 62.5% Nonfarm Jobs Increase 54,200 6 Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 7 Counties Remain in Double-Digit Unemployment, Down from 10 in April Two-Tier Economy Persists Two-Tier Economy by Demographic Group Two-Tier Economy by Demographic Group: Ethnicity/Race Two-Tier Economy by Demographic Group: Age

Highlights for policy makers: Unemployment Rate Declines to 6.3%; Total Employment Climbs 42,600 Labor Force Participation Rate Remains at 62.3%, Matching Previous Low in 1976 Nonfarm Jobs Increase 29,500 6 Industries Remain Below 2007 Pre-Recession Job Levels 10 Counties Remain in Double-Digit Unemployment, Down from 15 in March Two-Tier Economy Persists; Inland Empire Moves Up

The extent of the state’s two-tier economy is sharply illustrated by the patterns of economic growth over the past quarter century in two of its key jobs centers: Los Angeles County and the Bay Area.