---
title: How Many Apprentices Are in California, by Quarter
url: https://wellstanding.com/data/california-apprenticeship-numbers/
description: Active apprentices in California by quarter from DAS Chief's reports, September 30, 2023 to June 30, 2026: the Council's totals and the California total.
updated: 2026-10-23
type: data
publisher: WellStanding Certified Payroll
---
# How many apprentices are in California, by quarter

The Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) reports the number of active apprentices to the California Apprenticeship Council every quarter. This page copies the last 12 quarters from the Chief's reports listed on [DIR's California Apprenticeship Council meeting page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_CACMeetings.html) and the yearly meeting pages it links ([DAS Meetings 2023](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2023.html), [DAS Meetings 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2024.html) and [DAS Meetings 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2025.html)), labeled the way DAS labels them.

Newest quarter: June 30, 2026

The short answer

As of June 30, 2026, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) reported 90,021 active apprentices in its California total and 70,445 in the California Apprenticeship Council's totals, with 9,323 new registrations and reinstatements in the California total for the quarter. The California total is 1,297 fewer than a year earlier.

- June 30, 2026: 90,021 active apprentices in the California total and 70,445 in the Council's totals, with 9,323 and 7,211 new registrations and reinstatements in the quarter ([DAS Chief's report, August 13, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/August/2026-Q3-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf)).
- From March 31, 2026 to June 30, 2026 the California total went from 88,662 to 90,021 (+1,359) and the Council's totals from 68,858 to 70,445 (+1,587) ([DAS Chief's report, August 13, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/August/2026-Q3-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf)).
- In the 12 quarters in the table, the California total was highest on September 30, 2024 (94,126, [DAS Chief's report, October 24, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/October/2024-10-CAC-ChiefsReport.pdf)) and lowest on March 31, 2026 (88,662, [DAS Chief's report, May 8, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/May/2026-Q2-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf)).
- For public works, [Labor Code 1777.5(a)(2)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1777.5) defines an apprenticeship program as one under the jurisdiction of the California Apprenticeship Council, the body these reports are addressed to.

90,021active apprentices, California total, June 30, 2026

70,445active apprentices, this Council, June 30, 2026

9,323new registrations and reinstatements in the quarter, California total

## Active apprentices and new registrations, by quarter

Each row is the end of a quarter and links to the DAS report that gives it. Newest first. The columns are labeled as DAS labels them: **this Council** and **California total**. Under each California total is its change from the previous quarter in the table, which is WellStanding's subtraction of the two printed numbers.

| Quarter ended | Active apprentices, this Council | Active apprentices, California total | New registrations and reinstatements, this Council | New registrations and reinstatements, California total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| June 30, 2026 [DAS Chief's report, August 13, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/August/2026-Q3-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf) | 70,445 | 90,021 +1,359 from prior quarter | 7,211 | 9,323 |
| March 31, 2026 [DAS Chief's report, May 8, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/May/2026-Q2-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf) | 68,858 | 88,662 -1,765 from prior quarter | 5,521 | 7,980 |
| December 31, 2025 [DAS Chief's report, January 29, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/January/2026-1-CAC-Chiefs-Report.pdf) | 70,051 | 90,427 -1,523 from prior quarter | 4,061 | 5,725 |
| September 30, 2025 [DAS Chief's report, November 6, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/November/2025-11-CAC-Chiefs-Report.pdf) | 70,812 | 91,950 +632 from prior quarter | 6,616 | 9,154 |
| June 30, 2025 [DAS Chief's report, August 13-14, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/August/2025-8-DAS-Chiefs-Report.pdf) | 69,870 | 91,318 +785 from prior quarter | 7,021 | 9,532 |
| March 31, 2025 [DAS Chief's report, May 7-8, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/May/2025-02-CACChief%27sReport.pdf) | 69,191 | 90,533 -2,060 from prior quarter | 4,625 | 7,064 |
| December 31, 2024 [DAS Chief's report, January 23, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/January/2025-1-CAC-Chiefs-Report.pdf) | 70,975 | 92,593 -1,533 from prior quarter | 4,821 | 7,477 |
| September 30, 2024 [DAS Chief's report, October 24, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/October/2024-10-CAC-ChiefsReport.pdf) | 72,150 | 94,126 +1,667 from prior quarter | 8,418 | 11,985 |
| June 30, 2024 [DAS Chief's report, August 15, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/August/2024-8-Chiefs-Report.pdf) | 71,372 | 92,459 +2,697 from prior quarter | 8,040 | 11,352 |
| March 31, 2024 [DAS Chief's report, May 3, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/May/2024-5-Chiefs-Report-CAC.pdf) | 69,002 | 89,762 -2,398 from prior quarter | 5,437 | 13,604 |
| December 31, 2023 [DAS Chief's report, February 8, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/February/2023-12CACChiefsReport.pdf) | 70,929 | 92,160 -936 from prior quarter | 5,467 | 7,789 |
| September 30, 2023 [DAS Chief's report, October 26, 2023](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2023/October/2023-10-CACChiefsReport.pdf) | 71,583 | 93,096 No prior quarter in this table | 7,798 | 10,991 |

Compared with June 30, 2025, the California total is 1,297 fewer (91,318 then, 90,021 now) and the Council's totals are 575 more (69,870 then, 70,445 now). Those two differences are WellStanding's subtraction of DAS's printed numbers.

## What the two numbers are

- **This Council.** DAS's reports are addressed to the California Apprenticeship Council and head one set of figures "CAC totals". The Council issues rules and regulations setting standards for apprentice agreements in the building and construction trades and for firefighter occupations, and it meets quarterly ([Labor Code 3071(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3071)).
- **California total.** The second set of figures, headed "California totals". Only the [Chief's report of October 26, 2023 (quarter ended September 30, 2023)](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2023/October/2023-10-CACChiefsReport.pdf) has a table with CAC and IACA columns and a Grand Total (PDF page 7, Asian - Pacific Islander Background Summary), and it is the only table in that report with an IACA column. Its Filipino row reads 736 under CAC and 406 under IACA, 1,142 in all. The Filipino count is 736 on that report's CAC totals page and 1,142 on its California totals page, so in that row CAC plus IACA equals the California totals page's count. IACA is the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship in [Labor Code 3073](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3073); that report's text spells it out as the Interagency Advisory Committee for Apprenticeship. The summary line and the CAC totals and California totals pages of the reports in the table do not state what makes up the difference between the two totals. The later reports print the same background summary with Total and CAC columns.
- **Active apprentices** are as of the last day of the quarter. **New registrations and reinstatements** are for the quarter, not a running total.
- **Public works.** [Labor Code 1777.5(a)(2)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1777.5) defines an apprenticeship program, for the prevailing wage chapter, as a program under the jurisdiction of the California Apprenticeship Council. The summary line and the two statistical pages do not say which of the two sets of figures matches that definition, and they do not define the label "CAC totals". The only clue is in the [Chief's report of October 26, 2023 (quarter ended September 30, 2023)](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2023/October/2023-10-CACChiefsReport.pdf), whose table has separate CAC and IACA columns, which fits the California total being CAC programs plus IACA programs. By statute the Council's standards cover the building and construction trades and firefighter occupations ([Labor Code 3071(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3071)), and the Chief issues standards for apprentice agreements in all other industries in consultation with the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship ([Labor Code 3073(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3073)). On that basis WellStanding reads the Council's totals as the closer match to the statute's definition. The clue fits that reading but does not prove it, and it is our reading, not DAS's. Neither figure is limited to apprentices on public works jobs.

## What the table shows

- The Council's active apprentices ran from 68,858 (March 31, 2026) to 72,150 (September 30, 2024).
- The California total ran from 88,662 (March 31, 2026) to 94,126 (September 30, 2024).
- New registrations and reinstatements in the Council's totals ran from 4,061 (December 31, 2025) to 8,418 (September 30, 2024). In the California total they ran from 5,725 (December 31, 2025) to 13,604 (March 31, 2024). DAS prints 13,604 for the California total in the quarter ended March 31, 2024, against 5,437 for the Council; we copy it as printed and do not vouch for it.

## What it means on a public works job

Counts like these show how many apprentices DAS reports as active. They do not show whether an apprentice is available in your craft or county on the day you need one. If you employ workers in an apprenticeable craft on a public works contract, the apprentice duties are in [the Labor Code 1777.5 guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/california-labor-code-1777-5/). DIR lists the DAS 140 form (Public Works Contract Award Information) and the DAS 142 form (Request for Dispatch of an Apprentice) on its [Reports and Forms page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/forms.html); they are covered in [the DAS 140 and DAS 142 guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/das-140-142/), and the hours math is in [the apprentice ratio calculator](https://wellstanding.com/tools/apprentice-ratio-calculator/). Whether you have to hire apprentices at all is answered in [this guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/do-i-have-to-hire-apprentices-california-public-works/).

## How this table is built

- **Source.** The Chief's report that DAS gives the Council at each quarterly meeting, listed on [DIR's California Apprenticeship Council meeting page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_CACMeetings.html) and the yearly meeting pages it links ([DAS Meetings 2023](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2023.html), [DAS Meetings 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2024.html) and [DAS Meetings 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2025.html)). We read the report for each quarter on October 23, 2026.
- **Which quarter.** The quarter is the one named on the report's two Chief's Statistical Report pages. A quarter is in the table only when the report's summary line and those pages print the same four numbers (two are printed with a stray space, "70, 975" and "90 021", which we read as 70,975 and 90,021).
- **Copied, not adjusted.** DAS prints 13,604 new registrations and reinstatements for the California total in the quarter ended March 31, 2024, more than any other quarter in the table, in both the summary line and the statistical page. We copy it as printed and do not vouch for it.
- **Range.** The last 12 quarters, from September 30, 2023. This is a dated copy and gains a quarter when we copy DAS's next report.

Download the table: [california-apprenticeship-numbers.csv](https://wellstanding.com/data/california-apprenticeship-numbers.csv). Cite as: WellStanding, California active apprentices by quarter, DAS data as of June 30, 2026, read on October 23, 2026 from DAS Chief's reports to the California Apprenticeship Council, https://wellstanding.com/data/california-apprenticeship-numbers/.

## Questions

**How many apprentices are there in California?**

As of June 30, 2026, DAS reported 90,021 active apprentices in its California total, and 70,445 in the California Apprenticeship Council's totals ([DAS Chief's report, August 13, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/August/2026-Q3-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf)). The count changes every quarter, and the table above has the last 12.

**Why are there two numbers?**

DAS prints two sets of figures in each quarterly report, headed "CAC totals" and "California totals", and in its summary line labels them "this Council" and "California total". The Council sets apprenticeship standards for the building and construction trades and for firefighter occupations ([Labor Code 3071(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3071)). Only the [Chief's report of October 26, 2023 (quarter ended September 30, 2023)](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2023/October/2023-10-CACChiefsReport.pdf) has a table with CAC and IACA columns, its Asian - Pacific Islander Background Summary. Its Filipino row reads 736 under CAC and 406 under IACA, 1,142 in all. The Filipino count is 736 on that report's CAC totals page and 1,142 on its California totals page. IACA is the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship in [Labor Code 3073](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3073); that report's text spells it out as the Interagency Advisory Committee for Apprenticeship. The summary line and the CAC totals and California totals pages of the reports in the table do not state what makes up the difference between the two totals. The later reports print the same background summary with Total and CAC columns.

**Which number matters for public works?**

For public works, [Labor Code 1777.5(a)(2)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1777.5) defines an apprenticeship program as one under the jurisdiction of the California Apprenticeship Council. The summary line and the two statistical pages do not say which of the two sets of figures matches that definition, and they do not define the label "CAC totals". The only clue is in the [Chief's report of October 26, 2023 (quarter ended September 30, 2023)](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2023/October/2023-10-CACChiefsReport.pdf), whose table has separate CAC and IACA columns, which fits the California total being CAC programs plus IACA programs. By statute the Council's standards cover the building and construction trades and firefighter occupations ([Labor Code 3071(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3071)), and the Chief issues standards for apprentice agreements in all other industries in consultation with the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship ([Labor Code 3073(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3073)). On that basis WellStanding reads the Council's totals as the closer match to the statute's definition. The clue fits that reading but does not prove it, and it is our reading, not DAS's. Neither figure counts only apprentices working on public works. DAS's statistical pages do not break the numbers out that way.

**How many new apprentices register each quarter?**

In the quarters in the table, new registrations and reinstatements in the Council's totals ran from 4,061 (December 31, 2025) to 8,418 (September 30, 2024), and in the California total from 5,725 (December 31, 2025) to 13,604 (March 31, 2024). DAS prints 13,604 for the California total in the quarter ended March 31, 2024, against 5,437 for the Council; we copy it as printed and do not vouch for it. DAS reports them for the quarter, not as a running total.

**How often are the numbers updated?**

DAS reports them to the Council at each quarterly meeting, which [Labor Code 3071(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3071) says the Council holds. The newest report we have is the one from August 13, 2026, for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. This page is a copy we took on October 23, 2026 and changes when we copy a newer report.

**Can I use these numbers?**

Yes, with attribution, under the [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) for WellStanding's compilation. The figures are DAS's, from [DIR's California Apprenticeship Council meeting page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_CACMeetings.html) and the yearly meeting pages it links ([DAS Meetings 2023](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2023.html), [DAS Meetings 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2024.html) and [DAS Meetings 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2025.html)). Cite as: WellStanding, California active apprentices by quarter, DAS data as of June 30, 2026, read on October 23, 2026 from DAS Chief's reports to the California Apprenticeship Council, https://wellstanding.com/data/california-apprenticeship-numbers/. The CSV has every row.

## Related

- [Apprentice ratio calculator for California public works](https://wellstanding.com/tools/apprentice-ratio-calculator/)
- [DAS 140 filing deadline and DAS 142 explained](https://wellstanding.com/guides/das-140-142/)
- [Labor Code 1777.5: apprentice ratio and training funds](https://wellstanding.com/guides/california-labor-code-1777-5/)
- [Do you have to hire apprentices on California public works](https://wellstanding.com/guides/do-i-have-to-hire-apprentices-california-public-works/)
- [California prevailing wage enforcement statistics by year](https://wellstanding.com/data/california-prevailing-wage-enforcement/)
- [California public works activity, from DIR project registrations](https://wellstanding.com/data/california-public-works-activity/)

## Sources

Every figure on this page links to its source where it first appears. The full list, in order:

1. [DIR's California Apprenticeship Council meeting page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_CACMeetings.html) dir.ca.gov
2. [DAS Meetings 2023](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2023.html) dir.ca.gov
3. [DAS Meetings 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2024.html) dir.ca.gov
4. [DAS Meetings 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASMeetings2025.html) dir.ca.gov
5. [DAS Chief's report, August 13, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/August/2026-Q3-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
6. [DAS Chief's report, October 24, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/October/2024-10-CAC-ChiefsReport.pdf) dir.ca.gov
7. [DAS Chief's report, May 8, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/May/2026-Q2-CAC-Chiefs-report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
8. [Labor Code 1777.5(a)(2)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1777.5) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
9. [DAS Chief's report, January 29, 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2026/January/2026-1-CAC-Chiefs-Report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
10. [DAS Chief's report, November 6, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/November/2025-11-CAC-Chiefs-Report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
11. [DAS Chief's report, August 13-14, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/August/2025-8-DAS-Chiefs-Report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
12. [DAS Chief's report, May 7-8, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/May/2025-02-CACChief%27sReport.pdf) dir.ca.gov
13. [DAS Chief's report, January 23, 2025](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2025/January/2025-1-CAC-Chiefs-Report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
14. [DAS Chief's report, August 15, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/August/2024-8-Chiefs-Report.pdf) dir.ca.gov
15. [DAS Chief's report, May 3, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/May/2024-5-Chiefs-Report-CAC.pdf) dir.ca.gov
16. [DAS Chief's report, February 8, 2024](https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2024/February/2023-12CACChiefsReport.pdf) dir.ca.gov
17. [DAS Chief's report, October 26, 2023](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/DAS_MeetingAgenda/2023/October/2023-10-CACChiefsReport.pdf) dir.ca.gov
18. [Labor Code 3071(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3071) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
19. [Labor Code 3073](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=3073) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
20. [Reports and Forms page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/forms.html) dir.ca.gov
21. [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) creativecommons.org