California
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in California
Total Workforce
19,013,773
Federal Workforce
147,487
Probationary Federal Workforce
15,284
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 29.91% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 28.28% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | California Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 83 |
| Economy & Employment | 49 |
| Education | 46 |
| Emergency Services, Public Safety & Law Enforcement | 17 |
| Energy | 44 |
| Food & Agriculture | 45 |
| Housing | 16 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 6 |
| Immigration | 3 |
| Infrastructure | 32 |
| International Development | 71 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 150 |
| Overarching | 75 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 110 |
| Research & Academic Research | 72 |
| Social Services | 25 |
| Total | 844 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/20/25
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 158 contracts, 241 grants and 47 leases have been terminated in California.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in California
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| NURSE | 8905 | 984 |
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 5947 | 421 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT | 5228 | 492 |
| MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS | 4584 | 242 |
| CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE | 3597 | 468 |
| MEDICAL OFFICER | 3569 | 362 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 3466 | 605 |
| FORESTRY TECHNICIAN | 3233 | 746 |
| SOCIAL INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION | 3218 | 187 |
| MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE | 3172 | 662 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 33494 | 5346 | 38840 |
| CA | Department Of The Navy | 31724 | 2902 | 34626 |
| CA | Department Of The Air Force | 7946 | 984 | 8930 |
| CA | Department Of Defense | 7513 | 947 | 8460 |
| CA | Department Of The Army | 7309 | 890 | 8199 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| California | $71,499,974 | $47,284,230 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 48560 |
| San Diego County | 48100 |
| San Bernardino County | 14123 |
| San Francisco County | 11528 |
| Kern County | 11136 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
In California, several federally supported social programs play a crucial role in assisting residents. Examples include:
- Medi-Cal (Medicaid)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
- Low Income Housing Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Low Income Weatherization Program (LIWP)
- California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC)
- Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
Due to federal budget cuts in 2025, some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future.
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
“The government had already spent the money to train me up, to bring me on those teams so that I can help keep America safe, keep our resources safe, our wildlife and plants...And now all of a sudden, I can’t do that" - Anonymous