Grace Gedye/CalMatters

Updated COVID workplace rules go into effect January 14. Several of the changes increase protections for vaccinated workers.

California has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Several factors are contributing, including the state’s slow-to-rebound leisure and hospitality sectors. But the state has a lot of job openings, and high quit rates suggest workers are optimistic they can find better positions.

California built many new tech tools in response to the pandemic, often on a tight timeline. But the tools, such as MyTurn, the state’s vaccine portal, worked less well for older Californians, as well as those who lacked consistent internet access, or didn’t speak English fluently.

Global supply chain problems have led to a massive backup at Southern California ports. California lawmakers are asking experts about what the state could do to help — including locating temporary storage, growing the truck driving and warehouse workforces, suspending regulations and creating a new inland port.

A preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor Fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity. Wildfires, and the economic disruption they cause, have a large economic impact. But right now, California has a mostly incomplete picture of how much fires cost the state each year.