30 Percent

The increase in California state workers who took their first pension check in January 2010, over the same month in 2009, a strong indication that the state's budget and labor turmoil is pushing a growing number of longtime employees out the door. New statistics from the California Public Employees' Retirement System also show that state retirements for the entire year increased almost 18 percent from 2008. School and local government civil service retirements for the year rose about 17 percent.