California logs biggest job gain since October with 40,000 new jobs, unemployment rate stays up

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CA SEES STEADY JOB GROWTH

Via David Lightman

California gained 43,700 nonfarm jobs last month, the state’s biggest monthly increase since October.

The state’s jobs numbers have lagged, logging the nation’s highest unemployment rate in recent months. Despite the May gains, the rate slipped only slightly, to 5.2%, according to the latest jobs report from the state’s Employment Development Department.

The state rate was well above the national rate of 4%, and higher than California’s 4.5% a year earlier. The state’s rates have remained high for several reasons, including tech layoffs, small business struggles and less government spending.

But there were promising signs last month. California has 11% of all jobs nationwide, but the state’s May gain accounted for 16.1% of the national job increase.

Among the 11 sectors that make up California’s job market, eight saw increases last month.

The biggest increase was in hospitality jobs. EDD said that was largely because of “drying out from wet weather across the state earlier in the year.”

Also up significantly was the number of jobs in the accommodations and food services area.

Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the growth in a statement last Friday.

“California is creating good jobs all throughout the state to support Californians and their families,” he said. “As the state’s economy grows and hits new milestones, we need to continue supporting and uplifting every community across California.”

NEWSOM SIGNS MAIL TRANSPARENCY BILL

Via Vik Jolly

Help is on the way for Californians sorting through their mail and trying to figure out whether a legit looking envelope and enclosed letter is from a real government agency or their financial institution. Or whether it’s an advertisement or solicitation.

Among some dozen bills that Newsom has recently signed into law is the mail transparency legislation that targets solicitors who send the confusing letters to consumers.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1096, by Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, requires a disclosure statement to appear in at least 16-point bold type on the front of the envelope that contains a solicitation. The statement must disclose that the item is an advertisement, and that the recipient is not required to make a payment or take any action.

Seyarto’s bill amends the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, which decades ago made it illegal to engage in unfair or deceptive practices to sell goods or services to consumers.

“It will help people from being tricked into joining something or paying for something they would not ordinarily,” Seyarto said. “It isn’t a super flashy bill but in the end it will have a lot of benefits for a lot of people.”

The senator said he authored the bill to address growing concern from constituents, especially the elderly, about the official looking documents that arrive in the mail that are confusing to them.

“It makes you think either there’s a check inside or the state is sending you an official ‘You’re in trouble letter,’ ” Seyarto said. “A lot of people panic and it causes them anxiety ….”

The legislation, which will go into effect in January, is the first to require disclaimers to be printed on front of the envelope. Previous bills required disclaimers to be on the letter inside.

MAJORITY OF CALIFORNIANS CONCERNED ABOUT STATE REFERENDUMS, NEW POLL SHOWS

A majority of California registered voters say they are concerned with the growing presence of corporate or industry-sponsored referendums to attempt to undo laws passed by the state legislature, according to a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll that was released Friday..

According to the poll of 5,095 registered voters in the state, 75% of voters across party lines shared this concern, though 88% of Democrats voiced their concern while just 55% of Republican voters did.

One such example is the California Oil and Gas Well referendum, which seeks to overturn a 2022 law that prevents new oil and gas wells from being built within 3,200 feet of sensitive areas such as homes, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. The referendum is led by the California Independent Petroleum Association, which launched a Stop the Energy Shutdown campaign to get the ball rolling on the referendum, which will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot this fall.

A slightly smaller percentage of voters — six out of 10 — also said they were concerned about the use of recall elections to remove public officials from office.

Overall, though, 52% of voters are satisfied with democracy at large in the state, while 44% report being unsatisfied. Satisfaction with how democracy is working in California was sharply different among the two major parties; eight of 10 Republican or conservative voters said they were not satisfied while close to 75% of Democrats said they were.

The Berkeley IGS survey took place online in early June and focused on “voter attitudes toward a wide range of issues about the state’s democracy.” The poll was conducted in five languages.

“California voters offer a mixed evaluation of the state’s democracy,” said Eric Schickler, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies. “There is broad satisfaction with the methods available for voting, but important concerns about the way the referendum and recall processes are currently being used.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Louisiana has the worst crime rate in the nation — but this is their priority.”

– Gov. Gavin Newsom after Louisiana became the first U.S. state to require the Ten Commandments be posted in public school classrooms

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