California advances Jobs First agenda, expands career pathways and worker protections statewide

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Dec 31, 2025

California advances Jobs First agenda, expands career pathways and worker protections statewide

What you need to know: This year, California continued to support hundreds of thousands of workers through statewide apprenticeship programs and job opportunities and worked to get tens of millions of wages back into the pockets of hardworking Californians from those who broke California laws.

SACRAMENTO – In 2025, California expanded access to good-paying jobs and career training, strengthened worker protections, and supported communities across the state.

From growing regional economies and expanding skills-based training to enforcing labor laws and responding to the firestorm in Los Angeles, California delivered workforce, economic, and worker protection outcomes that have benefited working people and the economy.

"California sets the example that you can have strong worker protections and strong businesses. We've added protections for workers, expanded opportunities, and ensured people are fairly compensated for their work. The Golden State will not back down, even as the Trump administration shirks its responsibility to workers, as we work toward a better economy that works for all Californians."

Governor Gavin Newsom

"Behind every investment are people – workers gaining new skills, families recovering after disasters, and communities building their futures," said California Secretary of Labor Stewart Knox. "This year, California strengthened career pathways, protected workers' rights, and brought services directly to communities across the state."

Jobs First: growing jobs across California

The Governor launched the California Jobs First Council, bringing state agencies together to coordinate economic development, workforce, education, and infrastructure investments around a shared strategy for regional job growth. The Council aligns statewide action with 13 region-specific plans developed by local partners to reflect local priorities and labor-market needs.

In August, California Jobs First unveiled an $80 million investment to support 23,000 jobs and 11 projects, bolstering economic progress in communities and industries throughout the state.

Through California Jobs First, the state is training workers and supporting job creation across all 13 economic regions, targeting high-growth industries such as construction, healthcare, education, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, aerospace and defense, life sciences, and agtech.

Master Plan on Career Education: expanding apprenticeships and skills-based pathways

In 2025, California continued to strengthen efforts to connect education, workforce training, and employer needs to create a variety of pathways to good-paying careers. The state moved closer toward Governor Newsom's goal of serving 500,000 registered apprentices by 2029, serving more than 233,000 Californians in registered apprenticeships and, with interagency support, over 600,000 served through earn and learn programs since 2019. In alignment with the Master Plan on Career Education, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) expanded registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs statewide by supporting new and expanded programs across traditional and emerging industries. California investments include $15 million to advance 29 apprenticeship programs for young people entering the workforce, and $30 million for Apprenticeship Innovation Funding which benefited 70 apprenticeship programs in expanding sectors, such as health care, advanced manufacturing, and education.

The Employment Training Panel complemented this work by approving 299 training contracts in 2025, supporting 70,544 workers through employer-driven training programs, including $25 million to train more than 22,000 workers through apprenticeship programs that focused on training women, justice-involved individuals, veterans, and people transitioning from unemployment or low-paying jobs.

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Clean up and recovery after the Los Angeles firestorms

In response to the devastating firestorms in Los Angeles, Governor Newsom coordinated a rapid, multi-agency response, which included a focus on economic recovery, reemployment, and worker health and safety.

The State delivered $20 million in aid to the LA region to support dislocated workers and critical recovery and rebuilding efforts, with a $10 million Department of Labor National Dislocated Worker Grant for humanitarian aid and cleanup through temporary jobs, and another $10 million for the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity to provide transitional jobs, training, and supportive services for displaced workers.

Through California Jobs First, the state awarded $3 million to the LA Jobs First Collaborative to support recovery efforts in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, including assistance for local small businesses and tourism-dependent employers and ongoing economic impact reporting and analysis to guide rebuilding.

The Employment Development Department (EDD) activated disaster response protocols to help impacted workers access unemployment insurance and disaster-related assistance, including direct support navigating claims.

At the same time, the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) prioritized worker protection during cleanup and rebuilding. Cal/OSHA issued wildfire smoke and heat-safety guidance, conducted employer outreach, and enforced safety standards to protect vulnerable workers operating in hazardous conditions.

The Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) invested $1 million in five organizations focused on providing training and education to day laborers and domestic workers who are engaged in the clean-up and rebuilding of the areas impacted by the wildfires. LWDA coordinated with DIR and Cal/OSHA to collaborate on training and outreach to workers.

Strengthening worker protections

Governor Newsom signed legislation expanding collective bargaining rights and increasing protections for app-based drivers, such as those who work for Uber and Lyft. California also extended Cal/OSHA coverage to additional domestic workers, expanding workplace-safety protections statewide.

As the first state in the nation to adopt enforceable indoor and outdoor heat standards, 2025 marked the first full calendar year under California's new indoor heat protections. During the 2025 heat season, Cal/OSHA conducted nearly 600 indoor heat inspections statewide and performed 385 targeted high-heat inspection sweeps. Additionally, the division's criminal referrals tripled, underscoring a strong commitment to worker health and safety.

The Labor Commissioner's Office strengthened enforcement across industries, recovering more than $65 million in unpaid wages, penalties and interest; issuing $84 million in citations for 687 labor law violations; and correcting 2,279 violations that affected more than 46,000 workers.

The Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) secured multiple unfair labor practice settlements in 2025. This included a settlement with Bonnie Plants, LLC, requiring $114,834.40 in back pay to eight farmworkers and a settlement with Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, Inc., resulting in $33,548 paid to farmworkers after unlawful retaliation.

Reaching every Californian

Through California's Rural Strategic Engagement Program, the state is improving how the government serves workers in rural communities by making resources and services easier to access, clearer to navigate, and more responsive when concerns arise.

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Through coordinated clinics and service in rural areas, the state is ensuring that when workers reach out, they're connected to the right support. Multiple state departments work together to operate seven one-stop clinics in rural farm areas throughout the Central Valley, Central Coast, Riverside, and Yolo/Colusa regions. At the clinics, farmworkers can report issues such as unsafe conditions or unpaid wages, and the departments coordinate so the farmworker doesn't have to navigate multiple systems – simplifying government and connecting working people with the services they need.

Through California's Rural Strategic Engagement Program, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and its Departments have begun cross-training staff on skill sets that can enhance their ability to serve agricultural workers, including learning cultural competency skills to engage indigenous farmworkers, presentation and public-speaking skills to better educate workers and employers, and laws and regulations that protect farmworkers even if outside the jurisdiction of the staff.

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