Published: November 12, 2026
Understanding government services shouldn't depend on the language you speak. Whether you’re looking for unemployment benefits, applying for disability benefits, or exploring job and training opportunities, you need information you can understand and use.
That's why we are strengthening how we translate information on our website, making important benefits and services information available in 14 languages spoken by communities across California.
Together with Spanish, these languages represent more than 90 percent of Californians who speak a language other than English at home. This effort helps millions more Californians access information about EDD programs and services in the languages they know best.
Combining Advanced Technology with Human Expertise
We are modernizing our website translation approach by combining advanced translation technology with EDD specific terminology and ongoing human quality checks.
EDD is using Google Cloud Translation API along with our customized in-language glossary of program names, technical terms, and other specialized language. This helps translations better reflect the meaning of EDD's programs and services while creating greater consistency across website content.
The Department's Language Access Office conducts ongoing quality checks and updates the glossary as terminology changes. These improvements can then be incorporated into future translations, helping strengthen accuracy and consistency over time.
Our website translation approach currently supports 14 languages, in addition to Spanish and English. Those languages are Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Arabic, Farsi, Punjabi, Russian, Japanese, Hindi, Mon-Khmer (Cambodian), and Thai. Spanish remains a priority and we continue to provide translations through our in-house Spanish Translation Services team.
The new technology can support more than 100 languages, giving us a foundation to expand language access over time while continuing to offer free language assistance and interpretation services for Californians who speak other languages.
Technology is an important part of improving language access, but understanding community needs is just as important. That’s why we work with California communities, community-based organizations, and language access partners to identify language barriers and learn how people prefer to receive information.
That feedback helps the Department develop clearer, more useful information, strengthen translation quality, and improve access to our programs and services.
Expanding Language Access Across EDD Services
Modernizing website translation is one part of our broader effort to make information and services easier to access, understand, and navigate. The Department is also using technology, in collaboration with Google Public Sector, and other improvements to help customers get information and support in their preferred language.
These improvements include:
- 24/7 multilingual support: EDD's chatbot is available around the clock in eight languages, helping customers find answers about benefits, claims, jobs and training, and payroll tax and business services.
- Online unemployment applications in eight languages: A shorter, simpler application helps customers understand and complete the unemployment application process.
- Live unemployment chat with translation support: Customers can connect with an EDD representative through myEDD, with real-time translation available to support communication in their preferred language.
- Faster multilingual voicemail support: Speech-to-text translation technology helps staff transcribe and translate customer voicemails in more than 150 languages within minutes, reducing voicemail processing time by 40 to 50 percent.
- Expanded access for Deaf and hard of hearing customers: EDD offers American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation by video, either in real-time or at a scheduled time. In-person ASL interpretation is also available by appointment.
Together, these efforts help reduce communication barriers and give customers more ways to access the information and assistance they need. As we continue modernizing services, improving language access remains an important part of creating a better customer experience for the millions of Californians we serve.
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