The Latest

Latest News from The Roundtable

The latest news and updates from the California Business Roundtable. Sign up to receive updates straight to your inbox at [email protected].

Golden State Promise and California Business Roundtable Announce Strategic Partnership for 2026 Election Cycle

Coordinated, complementary, and comprehensive effort to protect California’s economy and address cost-of-living challenges...
Rob Lapsley, President of the California Business Roundtable, issued the following statement in response to the Legislature’s record-setting 2025–26 state budget proposal, which includes more than $325 billion in General Fund, Special Fund, and bond spending.
Business Roundtable President Rob Lapsley welcomes the new Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Monique Limon
Amid chatter about proposals to increase business taxes, we support Governor Newsom’s ongoing commitment to opposing general tax increases throughout his time in office.
In 2021, Governor Newsom stood before Californians announcing a $75 billion budget surplus. Four years later, the state faces a $12 billion deficit.
Yesterday, the Orange County Register published an op-ed by Rob Lapsley, President of the California Business Roundtable, and Jeffrey Ball, president and CEO of the Orange County Business Council
California’s leading business organizations that make up the Goods Movement Alliance underscored the vital role of the trade.

Latest News from the Center for Jobs

Latest on what is driving California’s economy, job growth, and other key indicators. Get updates straight to your inbox at [email protected]

Special Report: California Becomes 4th Largest Economy as Japan’s Economy Slowed in 2024

In the latest data from International Monetary Fund (IMF), California—if it was treated as a separate economy—moved from 5th largest in the world to 4th largest as Japan’s economy contracted. However, Japan is projected to resume growth at 4% in 2025, while India is projected to continue moving up the ranks with 7% growth....
As California slips further into long-term structural deficits and years of overspending catch up with policymakers, new and recycled tax increase discussions have begun once again.
In July, the preliminary estimate for nonfarm jobs shows a gain of 15,000. Combined with the downward adjustment to the June estimate, California shows a total loss of 9,700 nonfarm jobs to date in 2025 or essentially a continuation of the state’s job stagnation over the past two years.
California’s by-now secured position with the highest electricity costs appears to be an overlooked consideration in the most recent round of self-congratulations among the state’s leadership on the state’s increasing use of renewable generation sources.
Trade statistics in June again were buffeted by tariff policy shifts, with the latest deadline for tariff agreements now set for August 7.
In the latest report from California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA), zero emission vehicle (ZEV) registrations posted a decline for the third quarter in a row.
California average prices for commercial and industrial natural gas worsened compared to the other contiguous states, while the other rankings were unchanged. California again had the highest costs (12-month moving average) for all end user electricity rates, gasoline, and diesel.