Most people receiving homeless services in Los Angeles have worked previously, but fewer had worked in the years and months leading up to enrollment

Bar chart showing prior employment among people who enrolled in homeless services. 80% had worked at some point prior to enrollment, 48% worked in the four years prior, 39% worked 2 years prior, 31% worked 1 year prior, and 21% worked in the quarter just before or during enrollment.

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Note: Employment is defined as having a positive earnings record in EDD’s UI system in at least one quarter during the relevant time period. The “anytime prior” category captures any employment between an individual’s entry into homeless services during the study period (January 2019–July 2022) and the earliest available EDD wage data, which begin in 1995.

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