California: Job losses in state twice as bad as thought

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Feb 19, 2003

[John Jorsett]

California lost more than twice as many jobs than official statistics show during the recent economic downturn, many of them in the ailing technology sector, according to confidential state data obtained by The Chronicle.

The data, derived from unemployment insurance tax payments by employers filed quarterly with the state, show that California had 106,000 fewer nonfarm jobs at the end of June than official Employment Development Department figures indicate. The June quarter is the most recent period for which the tax filing data are available.

[John Jorsett]

Ping

[CdMGuy]

The Davis solution to lower state income tax revenues due to an undercount of the unemployed will be to raise the two highest tax brackets even higher than he has already proposed. I can see a top rate of 20% as his ultimate solution.

[Zathras]

It tells you alot when CA puts Hi Tech in the "non farm" category.

[Cicero]

It sounds as if more Davis lies are coming out.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

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[SteveH]

Until recently, EDD distributed the tax data widely to researchers and government officials in a document known as the interim series. About a year ago, the department restricted distribution to a handful of state budget officials.

"This interim series has been an enormous help to those of us who try to forecast revenue," Williams said.

EDD officials say they will resume distribution of the tax data after they complete a conversion now under way to a new industry classification system.

I am trying to understand this. They dropped distribution of valuable forecasting information for an entire year, because a conversion scheme had not been completed? This explanation does not appear to cover the bases. Why was it not started early and run in parallel for a while, instead of resulting in the wholesale stopping the flow of information? What is so bad about the previous scheme that it can't be used until the new scheme is ready, along with caveats?

Were I suspicious or paranoid, it would sound as if the intent is to hide something for political purposes...