| To view the updated 2025 Working Landscapes Report, go here. |
California is the nation’s largest agricultural producer and is the nation’s sole exporter of many agricultural commodities, supplying 99% or more of almonds, artichokes, and garlic. However, California’s working landscape is not limited simply to agriculture. This study identifies and analyzes nine segments, including support activities such as agricultural distribution and processing, that are associated with the working landscape. The nine segments of focus are: agricultural distribution, agricultural processing, agricultural production, agricultural support, fishing, forestry, mining, outdoor recreation, and renewable energy.
Collectively, these segments contribute significantly to the state’s economic vitality and account for many jobs in the labor market. A key finding of this study is that California’s working landscape supports more than 1.5 million jobs and nearly 70,000 business establishments. In 2018, the nine working landscape segments paid workers $85 billion in earnings and generated $333 billion in sales.
The study employs three measures to gauge the contribution of each working landscape segment to the state economy: number of jobs, total earnings paid to workers, and total sales income. These numbers provide an indication of the breadth of each segment’s workforce and its financial contribution to regional economies.