California Policy Lab October 2020 Newsletter

CPL Receives $2 M National Science Foundation Grant

CPL has received a four-year, $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to advance social science and policy research through the Linkage Initiative for Policy Evaluation and Research (LIPER). LIPER will develop powerful new datasets using linked administrative data from California. The data will considerably expand researchers’ ability to understand the dynamics of household economics, the social safety net, and complex social problems like homelessness. Jesse Rothstein, Hilary Hoynes, and Steven Raphael will serve as principal investigators.

Learn more about LIPER.

New Research Project: Impact of Housing on Well-Being in Sonoma

CPL is partnering with Sonoma County to study whether securing housing through the Housing Choice Voucher program increases or decreases reliance on other public services, such as behavioral and emergency health services, and criminal justice contacts, with direct implications for future social and economic mobility, health, and well-being. Johanna Lacoe, Research Director at CPL Berkeley, and Professor Michael Lens, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy at UCLA, and an Affiliated Expert at CPL, will serve as the principal investigators.

New Work Sharing Law In California

A new bill, AB 1731, signed by Governor Newsom earlier this week, will streamline the process for companies in California to apply for the Work Sharing program. CPL provided analysis on the potential impact of this bill. Under Work Sharing, employers retain their employees (instead of laying them off), but reduce their hours. That lost income is partially made up through employees receiving prorated UI benefits and provides greater financial benefits than employees filing solely for partial unemployment. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath. Till von Wachter explains the importance of this new law in the Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s press release.

Welcome New CPL Staff!

Please join us in welcoming our new colleagues!

From left to right:

Landon Gibson, Data Scientist, UCLA
Ratul Esrar, Data Analyst, UCLA
Victoria Wang, Research Fellow, UCLA
Agnes Keary, Research Assistant, UC Berkeley

CPL Unemployment Analysis Finds “Mixed Picture” Of Recovery

CPL’s latest analysis of unemployment clams in California for the month of August found that while new initial claims fell below the Great Recession peak for several weeks in a row, the number of additional claims held steady at a very high level, indicating repeat layoffs. New Unemployment Policy Brief

Why Unemployment Claims May Be Overcounted by Millions

CPL’s September UI report is cited in this article focused on why “continuing claims” can be a problematic way to measure the crisis. In contrast, CPL’s UI analyses counts the actual number of people receiving UI benefits.  

Another 860,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week

Till von Wachter explains why CPL’s approach of counting individuals receiving unemployment (instead of counting claims) is a more accurate measure. 

Access to housing is key to preventing incarceration

This article cites CPL’s previous research focused on sheltered vs. unsheltered homelessness.

California job growth is sluggish — and experts say it may get worse

CPL’s analysis finding that 192,000 of the most vulnerable Californians would be excluded from the Lost Wages Assistance program is cited. 

‘I’m drowning’: Californians of color most affected by growing backlog of jobless aid

CPL’s research finding that nearly one-third of California workers have filed for unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic is cited.