By many measures, California's economy is booming.
Unemployment rates are the lowest they've been in a decade.
The state has regained the million jobs lost during the recession and added a million more. There are a number of reasons why many Californians are falling behind. This report explores whether changing employment patterns are likely to reverse this trend for those who work or seek to work to support themselves and their families. These questions are particularly timely in light of the recent changes to state and federal welfare laws. The new welfare laws were predicated on the implicit assumptions that there would be enough jobs available for those asking to work and that available jobs would provide sufficient income to support a family.