California just became the first state to build a public dashboard that tracks whether artificial intelligence is actually costing people their jobs.
Governor Gavin Newsom introduced the California AI-Unemployment Tracker, or CAIT, on June 25. The tool, developed in partnership with the California Policy Lab at UCLA and the state’s Employment Development Department, cross-references occupational AI exposure metrics with unemployment insurance claims in something close to real time.
What the data actually shows
The initial findings through May 2026 show no statewide surge in unemployment claims among workers in AI-exposed occupations. But the tracker has flagged localized increases in claims among college-educated workers in high-exposure roles.
The San Francisco Bay Area and tech-adjacent sectors like information services and professional services have shown elevated claims since the launch of ChatGPT-3.5 in late 2022.
