CalFresh is a Lifeline for 1.5 Million Working Californians

CalFresh (food stamps, known as SNAP nationally) plays a crucial role in helping over 1.5 million workers afford a basic diet in California. According to a new state factsheet released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, CalFresh helps 1 in 11 workers put food on the table in California. 

If that number sounds surprisingly high, it’s because our economic recovery has mostly been in low-wage, part-time work. Coupled with the extraordinary cost of housing and far too many working families still struggling to have enough to eat. CalFresh provides vital nutrition assistance to workers and working families by supplementing low wages, smoothing out income fluctuations due to shifting schedules and sustaining working Californians during periods of unemployment. The top five occupations with CalFresh participants include cashiers, agricultural workers, personal care aides, cooks and retail salespersons who receive hourly wages that are less than half of the state average –making SNAP a vital nutrition and income support for our state’s low-wage workers.  

Click here to read the full report.