California Launches First-in-the-Nation Tracker on AI and Job Loss

California has rolled out a new tool that tracks how AI may be reshaping the job market in real time. The California AI-Unemployment Tracker (CAIT) is a joint venture by the Governor’s Office, the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and the California Policy Lab (CPL) at the University of California, linking unemployment insurance claims to how exposed different occupations are to AI.

The accompanying report, Tracking AI-Related Job Loss Using Unemployment Insurance Claims Data in California, was prepared by a team of researchers from CPL’s UCLA site. The findings as of May 2026 indicate no evidence of a statewide surge in layoffs among workers in highly AI-exposed jobs, though early signs of disruption are showing up in specific worker groups, industries, and regions. Unemployment claims have risen among college-educated workers in highly AI-exposed occupations, while similarly educated workers in low-exposure jobs haven’t seen the same shift. The trend is especially pronounced in the San Francisco Bay Area and in tech-heavy sectors like Professional Services, though the Information sector’s claims have recently leveled back out to pre-AI norms.

Researchers note that the tracker is meant as an early-warning system and will update monthly with breakdowns by region, industry, and demographic characteristics.

The tracker is live now on both the California Policy Lab and EDD websites.

Read the full article on the CPL website