On March 3, 2021, we unveiled our Getting Back to Work: Revamping the Economy by Removing Past Records report with Californians for Safety and Justice. We were joined by Senator Maria Elena Durazo, who introduced SB 731, along with co-authors Sen. Nancy Skinner and Sen. Steven Bradford.

UNITE-LA and Californians for Safety and Justice have been working to reduce the barriers that people with records face when they are looking to enter the workforce. Together, they commissioned this study to understand the scale of the problem in California. Working with data analysts and researchers, this study estimates the number of people with past records and the impact these records have on California’s economy.

The Early Care and Education (ECE) workforce, or child care workers, who serve Los Angeles County preschools and its broader child care infrastructure is facing a crisis. The ECE workforce sector continues to face chronic recruitment and retention challenges. The pandemic has only exacerbated matters. But behind this setback lies an opportunity to link state funding for ECE workforce wage subsidies to local development initiatives. CA’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care is a starting point that serves as a roadmap for building a comprehensive early learning system that is good for families, working guardians, employers and our future workforce. 

UNITE-LA commissioned Beacon Economics, an independent economic research consulting firm, to prepare The Economic Benefits of a Professional Early Care and Education Workforce in L.A. County, a report on the economic effects of paying ECE workers wages that match qualifications. Read the findings in the one-pager and full report below.

UNITE-LA worked with New American Economy to publish a new snapshot of the demographic and economic contributions of immigrants in L.A.

With support from UNITE-LA, the Small Business Majority and the Bay Area Council, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute conducted an evaluation of California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program from 2004-2018 using data from the California Employment Development Department, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the California Department of Public Health. The research focused on PFL program utilization and how it has changed over time, the impact of PFL on labor force participation, and the impact of PFL on firms, particularly firm labor costs and exit rates. 

This report to the Governor’s PFL Task Force offers findings on the effect of Paid Family Leave to date, to inform what the possible effects of expanding the PFL program would be.

After developing its content over the past year and a half, we are pleased to present the full Research and Policy Brief series.

This post links to the 100-page book, but you can also view the individual briefs in the subsequent "We Choose ALL" blog posts.  To read each of the supporting reports, scroll thru the next 10 posts, selecting the "Read More" button to view each brief.

A Snapshot of the Demographic & Economic Contributions of Immigrants Locally

Practices that Support Employee Upskilling

In the fall of 2015, Children Now and First 5 LA conducted a survey of L.A. County’s 80 school districts.  To further inform the discussion, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce conducted a complementary Preschool Assessment Survey.