Could things go wrong for California workers?

The bad news is that Golden State just took another squash when it comes to jobs.

This news comes on top of the disastrous AB5 law that restricts many people from working as independent contracts if they reside in the state. This means that many companies from across the United States have simply stopped hiring freelancers based there. On top of that, it caused financial hardship for workers in temporary jobs who wanted the flexibility of freelance work, usually from home.

But there are more bad things to the so-called teleworkers who are based in California.

All of the 10 worst cities for remote workers are in California and none are in the top 10, according to a recent report by LawnStarter titled The 2023 Best Cities for Remote Workers.

The report ranks cities based on various key things, including web connectivity quality and availability, access to WeWork-style workspaces, state-provided transportation bonuses (if any), cost, and potential profits. There were other items, too.

It is well known that the enormous wealth that arose in Silicon Valley, and the astounding global success of Hollywood, has led to the high cost of living in the Golden State. Given that remote workers are paid for what they do rather than where they live, the California problem should be obvious. They are expensive not only in terms of property prices, as well as taxes.

The median family home price in California was more than $800,000, compared to $429,000 nationwide, and right now, the housing market is under pressure, but the difference in price levels should be clear.

there is more. California income tax is along with other local taxes the highest in the country. California’s weighted tax level is 11.56% which far exceeds New York state’s level of 7.4% which is commonly referred to as bleeding eyes. The lowest rate is 1.2% in Wyoming.

That's why it shouldn't surprise anyone that Santa Ana is the worst place in America to work remotely. The third and fourth worst places are Salinas, Glendale, and Garden Grove, respectively.

The best state for remote workers, at least according to the study, is Texas. Plano, Frisco, and Austin are ranked first, second, and seventh, respectively. Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida, ranked third and ninth, respectively.

Of course, if those do not appeal, there is always the opportunity to go abroad.