The UC Berkeley Labor Center provides no-cost technical assistance to employers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to facilitate high-road projects and partnerships in the green economy in California and beyond. In a high-road economy, job quality, equity, and sustainability are treated as complementary goals, rather than competing ones. We offer support identifying opportunities for projects and partnerships that advance these outcomes.

Our program regularly compiles policy and research updates related to technology and work. See below. New material will be added every few months.

Across the country, cities and counties have become laboratories of policy innovation on labor standards. Before 2012, only five localities had minimum wage laws; currently, 65 counties and cities do. To help inform policymakers and other stakeholders, the UC Berkeley Labor Center is maintaining an up-to-date inventory of these laws, with details on wage levels, scheduled increases, and other law details, as well as links to the ordinances.

Additional details to accompany the new “Know Your Rights” flyer that will be handed out to all California students seeking a work permit.

Archive tables of California city and county minimum wage rates.

Our minimum wage and living wage tools and resources includes our Inventory of US City and County Minimum Wage Ordinances and a table of current local minimum wages in California.

Workers at large businesses in California have basic rights around their worker data under the California Consumer Privacy Act, a groundbreaking data privacy law. Because of its potential value for workers and worker advocates, we explain in this toolkit the process for workers to access their data.

Updated November 12, 2024. An overview of current U.S. public policy that regulates employers’ use of digital workplace technologies.

The California Green Economy Public Funding Tracker provides information on open funding opportunities from California state agencies related to climate, clean energy, and the workforce. It includes programs supported or administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Energy Commission (CEC), California Climate Investments, Strategic Growth Council, California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), and more.

The interactive data explorer provides comprehensive data on the state’s low-wage workforce, including demographics, job characteristics, industries, occupations, use of public assistance programs, and geography. It also provides users with graphics, tables, research summaries, interactive visualizations, and downloadable data.

National and California-based funding trackers for green economy projects. The databases track notices of funding opportunities from various agencies and provides a description of the grants, application links, key dates, webinar dates, and other information.

Inventory of state and local laws that set higher minimum wages and other wage-related standards for specific industries.

This database tracks notices of funding opportunities from various federal agencies and provides a description of the grants, application links, key dates, webinar dates, and other useful information. If you are interested in accessing the database please fill out this form: https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/forms/open-funding-database-request-form/

UPDATED MARCH 1, 2023. Compilation of living wage and self-sufficiency calculators that provide data on California.

This data tool tracks the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers in California, and how the state is recovering from these effects. The pandemic left millions of Californians out of work, and while the economy has begun to recover in recent months, some workers continue to struggle. This resource will be updated periodically, as new data becomes available, to allow users to monitor the progress of labor markets in the state. Last updated May 18, 2022.

The Labor Center is working to provide research on how California is experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic; analysis of new policies, what they offer the state’s workers and businesses, and what is still needed; and curated lists of resources, information, and tools for workers and their advocates.

The Low-Wage Work in California Data Explorer provides users with graphics, tables, research summaries, interactive visualizations, and downloadable data. Use this site to explore a wide range of data on California’s low-wage workers: numbers of workers, demographics, job quality, occupations, industries, economic security indicators, geography, and more.

A list of California city and county ordinances, proclamations, mayoral directives, and orders that expand labor standards for workers affected by the pandemic, such as paid sick leave, health care, worker retention/right of return, and policies that lift workers’ voices in firm, industry, and government responses to the pandemic.

Under the Affordable Care Act, eligibility for income-based Medicaid and subsidized health insurance through the Marketplaces is calculated using a household’s Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). The Affordable Care Act definition of MAGI under the Internal Revenue Code and federal Medicaid regulations is shown below.