In May, the Trump administration announced it was considering changing the way the federal poverty line is adjusted annually for increases in cost of living, and is seeking public comment until June 21, 2019. The alternatives they are considering could take away Medi-Cal eligibility for tens of thousands of Californians, reduce subsidies for over one million Californians with subsidized insurance from Covered California, and reduce the number eligible for dozens of other programs including CalFresh. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that, nationally, millions of people could lose or see reductions in their benefits.

The Low-Wage Work in California Data Explorer offers an in-depth look at the people who make up California’s low-wage workforce and provides users with graphics, tables, research summaries, interactive visualizations, and downloadable data. The explorer provides a wide range of information on the state’s low-wage workforce, including demographics, job characteristics, industries, occupations, use of public assistance programs, and geography.

Between 2011 and 2016, California enacted a set of 51 policy measures addressing workers’ rights, environmental issues, safety net programs, taxation, and infrastructure and housing. Collectively called “the California Policy Model” (CPM), the findings of this analysis suggest that the CPM was successful in meeting its goals for increased wage growth and health insurance access and decreases in carbon emissions and wage inequality, without reducing employment or impeding economic growth.