Why California Is Bleeding Tech Jobs: Decline Is A Policy Choice
20th January 2026
For much of the past half-century, California benefited from a powerful first-mover advantage.
Dense networks of talent, capital, and research institutions allowed the state to absorb policy mistakes that would have crippled competitors. High spending and taxes, restrictive housing rules, and regulatory complexity were treated as nuisances rather than binding constraints, because growth could outstrip their costs.
That margin of error has narrowed dramatically.