- Metric Name:  Unemployment Percentile

- Data Vintage:  2021

- Unit Of Measure: Percent

Percentage of the population over the age of 16 that is unemployed and eligible for the labor force. Excludes retirees, students, homemakers, institutionalized persons except prisoners, those not looking for work, and military personnel on active duty (5-year estimate, 2015-2019).

Because low socioeconomic status often goes hand-in-hand with high unemployment, the rate of unemployment is a factor commonly used in describing disadvantaged communities. On an individual level, unemployment is a source of stress, which is implicated in poor health reported by residents of such communities. Lack of employment and resulting low income often constrain people to live in neighborhoods with higher levels of pollution and environmental degradation.

Creation Method: CalEnviroScreen, Version 4.0, is a science-based method for identifying impacted communities by taking into consideration pollution exposure and its effects, as well as health and socioeconomic status, at the census-tract level. CalEnviroScreen 4.0 uses the census tract as the unit of analysis. Census tract boundaries are available from the Census Bureau. CalEnviroScreen uses the Bureau’s 2010 boundaries. New boundaries will be drawn by the Census Bureau as part of the 2020 Census but will not be available until 2022. OEHHA will address updates to census tract geography in CalEnviroScreen at that time. There are approximately 8,000 census tracts in California, representing a relatively fine scale of analysis. Census tracts are made up of multiple census blocks, which are the smallest geographic unit for which population data are available. Some census blocks have no people residing in them (unpopulated blocks).

The CalEnviroScreen model is based on the CalEPA working definition in that:

● The model is place-based and provides information for the entire State of California on a geographic basis. The geographic scale selected is intended to be useful for a wide range of decisions.

● The model is made up of multiple components cited in the above definition as contributors to cumulative impacts.

● The model includes two components representing Pollution Burden - Exposures and Environmental Effects

● The model includes two components representing Population Characteristics - Sensitive Populations (e.g., in terms of health status and age) and Socioeconomic Factors.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey of the US population conducted by the US Census Bureau. Unlike the decennial census, which attempts to survey the entire population and collects a limited amount of information, the ACS releases results annually based on a sub-sample of the population and includes more detailed information on socioeconomic factors such as unemployment. Multiple years of data are pooled together to provide more reliable estimates for geographic areas with small population sizes. The most recent results available at the census tract level are the 5-year estimates for 2015-2019. The data are made available using the U.S. Census data download website.

- Credits:  California Environmental Protection Agency, CalEnviroScreen 4.0

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, CAL EPA: 
Data disclaimer:  
The State makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or adequacy of these data and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in these data. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to these data.