750,000 Californians will lose their unemployment benefits on Dec 26th
There is considerable churn in and out of California’s unemployment system, with the majority of initial claims in October being filed by workers who were “re-opening” previous claims. CPL’s new analysis also projects 750,000 Californians will stop receiving their UI benefits unless Congress renews two federal unemployment programs (PUA and PEUC). CBS Los Angeles has a first look at the research and impact on Californians. November 19th Policy Brief
Recovery for small and medium-sized businesses plateaued earlier this summer
A recovery that started in late April for small and medium-sized businesses began to stall out in mid-June, as COVID-19 cases resurged in several regions throughout the country, according to a new analysis of Homebase hourly wage data. This research is conducted by a team from CPL, IRLE, the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at Chicago Booth and the University of Chicago Poverty Lab. New Analysis
Disparities in Los Angeles Police Department stops and searches
A new CPL analysis of vehicle and pedestrian stops by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) finds there were racial and ethnic disparities in who the LAPD stopped and in who was subsequently searched during a 15-month study period (July 2018 to October 2019). Dr. Emily Owens presented the new research to the LAPD Commission in October.
Estimating Prop 25’s likely impacts
In October, CPL released an analysis estimating the impact if Proposition 25 had been in effect in 2017 and 2018 in San Francisco and Sonoma Counties. The research team found that pre-arraignment releases would have increased in both counties had Prop. 25 been in effect. While California voters defeated Prop 25, the California Supreme Court is currently considering a case about cash bail. The final decision could dramatically change California’s cash bail system if the California Supreme Court upholds a lower court’s ruling requiring judges to consider an individual’s ability to pay when setting bail amounts. Prop 25 Analysis
The California Policy Lab is hiring several GSRs to work on projects focused on safety net programs for UC and community college students, modeling changes to the California Penal Code, and several consumer credit panel projects using the new UC Consumer Credit Panel. Review of applications is ongoing. Graduate Student Researcher position
Till von Wachter is interviewed by CBS Los Angeles about the impact on out-of-work Californians if Congress doesn’t renew the federal PUA and PEUC unemployment insurance benefit programs.
A new grant from the National Science Foundation will enable CPL to develop powerful new datasets and considerably expand researchers’ ability to understand the dynamics of household economics, the social safety net, and complex social problems like homelessness.
