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November 20, 2025 - SAN FRANCISCO - Thirty percent of Californians say they or someone in their household have cut back on food to save money in the past year. Nearly seven in ten expect bad times financially for the state during the next 12 months, yet three-quarters are at least somewhat satisfied with their household’s financial situation. Californians support a wide range of policies to improve the economic well-being of state residents, including a public health insurance option and increased government spending on job training programs. These are among the key findings from a statewide survey released on Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Full Survey Report

The recent federal government shutdown highlighted the concerning issue of food insecurity nationally. In California, three in ten (30%) residents say that they or someone in their household reduced meals or cut back on food to save money in the past 12 months. The numbers are even more stark for residents earning less than $40,000 annually: half (52%) say they have cut back on food to save money and 51 percent report that they or someone in their household received SNAP (CalFresh) benefits in the past 12 months.

“Food insecurity is a reality for many Californians today, with almost 30 percent saying they or a member of their household have cut back on food to save money in the past year,” said Mark Baldassare, PPIC Statewide Survey director and Miller Chair in Public Policy. “Lower-income Californians are particularly vulnerable: half say their household has cut back on food.”

About one in four residents also say they worry every day or almost every day about housing costs for themselves and their family (26%) and the amount of debt they carry (23%). Californians earning under $40,000 are significantly more likely to say they worry daily or almost daily about housing costs (42%) and debts (34%). Nearly half of these lower-income residents (46%) say that it would be very difficult or nearly impossible for them to cover a $1,000 emergency expense.

The new statewide survey also finds:

• Californians are increasingly pessimistic about the state’s economic outlook. Californians are divided about the overall direction of the state: 48 percent say things are generally going in the right direction, and 51 percent say they are headed in the wrong direction. On the subject of the state economy, however, Californians are decidedly gloomy: most (68%) think the state will have bad times financially in the next 12 months, including majorities across regions (71% Los Angeles, 69% Central Valley, 67% Orange/San Diego, 65% Inland Empire, 63% San Francisco Bay Area). This is a 12-point jump from December 2024, when 56 percent held this view. Fueling this pessimism? More than eight in ten residents say the availability of well-paying jobs in their part of California is a big problem (28%) or somewhat of a problem (58%). The number of Californians who view the availability of well-paying jobs as a big problem is 8 percentage points higher than it was a year ago (20%).

  Given this dreary backdrop, how do Californians feel about the way their elected leaders are handling jobs and the economy? Governor Newsom (52%) and the California Legislature (46%) receive higher approval than do President Trump (27%) and Congress (17%).

  “Californians have been gloomy about the economy and affordability for several years now and it’s altering their big-picture thinking,” said Baldassare. “Just one in three believe that the American Dream—the idea that if you work hard, you’ll get ahead—still holds true. Seven in ten think that children growing up in our state today will be financially worse off than their parents. And majorities across all regions, political parties, and income and demographic groups believe the gap between rich and poor in their part of the state is growing.”

• But most express some satisfaction with their own financial situation, jobs. Despite their pessimism about the state’s economic outlook, three in four Californians say they are very (20%) or somewhat (54%) satisfied with their own financial situation. Eight in ten residents also label their financial situation as comfortable (38%) or adequate (43%), while a smaller share describe their finances as stressed (14%) or falling behind (5%). However, Californians earning under $40,000 are more likely to be unsatisfied with their finances (49%) and to describe their financial situation as stressed (28%) or falling behind (15%).

  African Americans (53%) are almost twice as likely as other racial/ethnic groups (24% Asian Americans, 28% Latinos, 21% whites) to be unsatisfied with their financial situation. Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area (50%) are considerably more likely than residents in Orange/San Diego (41%), the Inland Empire (34%), Los Angeles (34%), and the Central Valley (33%) to say their financial situation is comfortable.

  Despite their concerns about the job landscape, most employed residents across the state (87%) express satisfaction with their jobs. Overwhelming majorities say their jobs have stable pay (88%), predictable work hours (83%), paid sick leave (82%), healthcare coverage (78%), and retirement savings (75%). Employed adults who work part time or have incomes under $40,000 are among the least likely across demographic groups to say their jobs have these features.

• There is strong support for policies that could improve economic well-being in California. Overwhelming majorities of adults and likely voters favor increased government spending for job training (78% each) and childcare programs (73% each); similar majorities support the creation of a public health insurance option (79% adults, 77% likely voters). There is also strong support for expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit program (72% adults, 70% likely voters) and increasing the minimum wage (67% adults, 64% likely voters). Consistent with Californians’ concern about housing costs, residents favor easing permit requirements and other policies that could facilitate new construction.

  Fewer Californians (46%) and likely voters (40%) support the idea of the federal government providing a guaranteed income—sometimes called Universal Basic Income—of about $1,000 per month for all adult citizens. While Democrats support the idea (58%), far fewer Republicans (17%) and independents (42%) like the concept.

  “Californians show strong support for expanding job training, health insurance, and childcare programs to improve economic well-being,” Baldassare said. “They are more skeptical of a federal guaranteed income program at this time.”

• Many Californians are concerned about the economic impact of artificial intelligence (AI). Asked about the potential effect of AI on their own industry, nearly half of employed Californians (49%) think it will reduce the number of jobs available. Ten percent think AI will increase the number of jobs in their field, while 40 percent think it will have no effect. One-third of employed Californians are either very concerned (11%) or somewhat concerned (21%) about AI causing them to lose their job or have their hours reduced. African Americans (48%) are more likely to express concern about losing their job or hours due to AI than are Asian Americans (37%), Latinos (35%), and whites (26%).

Also check out these findings:

• Most Californians (70%) approve of labor unions.
• Most workers with a hybrid work arrangement (70%) say it has had a positive effect on their work-life balance.

About the Survey

The Californians and Their Economic Well-Being survey is supported with funding from the Arjay R. and Frances F. Miller Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.

The findings are based on responses from 2,306 California adult residents. The sampling error is ±3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level for the total unweighted sample and ±3.9 percent for the 1,307 likely voters. Interviewing took place from October 16-30, 2025. For more information, please see the methodology section in the full survey report.

Mark Baldassare is statewide survey director at PPIC, where he holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy. He is founder of the PPIC Statewide Survey, which he has directed since 1998.

The Public Policy Institute of California is dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. We are a public charity. We do not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor do we endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office. Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or of the staff, officers, advisory councils, or board of directors of the Public Policy Institute of California.

Source: PPIC